Residents along the Massachusetts coast have seen plenty of inclement weather and once again, they are preparing for coastal flooding ahead of Thursday's storm.
Utility crews will be staged so they can move at a moments notice to fix any downed power lines.
"People need to be prepared at home," said Kevin Morley, spokesperson for Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee."They should have 72 hours of supplies in case there's a power outage or roads are very hard to travel on."
On the docks, workers are installing “bubblers.” They are motorized propellers that keep water moving to avoid freezing.
John Gould took the ferry off Nantucket one day early so he wouldn’t be stuck on the island.
"When you see the ice coming in the harbor, you say, 'holy cow maybe we shouldn't have done this,'" said Gould.
Town officials in Scituate are telling residents who live along the ocean and in neighborhoods that flood to take the necessary steps to protect their properties before the storm hits.
"At this point, we don't know the severity but we want them to start making plans for anything that can occur," said Scituate Town Administrator Jim Boudreau.
The storm is expected to bring snow, strong winds, high tides and frigid temperatures.
Many residents are taking the advice of town officials.
"You don't want to be caught off guard, make the previsions that you need," said Scituate resident Katie Sheehan. "Get your food, get your fuel, get your car ready. Get a bag ready. Pack."
Power outages are also expected during the storm, not just along the coast, but for many areas in New England.
Thursday's storm, which will begin before dawn, is expected to bring up to a foot of snow in Boston, along with strong to damaging wind gusts and the possibility of minor to moderate coastal flooding likely during the high tide at noon. White-out conditions during some of the heaviest snow bands are expected to develop by midday Thursday and continue into the evening. Blizzard warnings have been issued for parts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maine. Click here for a complete list of weather alerts.
