Wareham not walloped: Preparation helps limit impacts of nor'easter
The Wareham River behind Merchants Way Monday, Oct. 13. Photos by Bobby Grady
The water in Onset Bay nearly reached the Onset Bay Center.
The Wareham River behind Merchants Way Monday, Oct. 13. Photos by Bobby Grady
The water in Onset Bay nearly reached the Onset Bay Center.
Following a two day nor'easter, Wareham Police report little damage and few power outages across town.
The storm began Sunday, Oct. 12 and carried into early Tuesday Oct. 14 and while the storm hit Cape Cod and the eastern seacoast the worst, Wareham Police Emergency Management Director Calib LaRue said Wareham saw steady winds with high rainfall.
“The highest wind speed was recorded Monday morning with a steady speed of about 20 miles-per-hour with 36 mile-per-hour gusts,” LaRue said.
He added Wareham got nearly 5.5 inches of rain during the storm with almost 3 inches falling on Monday.
Despite the heavy rain, LaRue said the damage and power outages across town were minimal. He said there were a few isolated power outages but most were in the Parkwood Beach and Shangrila areas.
“You’re talking less than 25 outages for the entirety of the storm,” he said.
LaRue added there was a motor vehicle accident Monday and early Tuesday morning that were caused in part by the weather.
Following the July 3 storm that left over 70% of people in town without power, being prepared for storms became a top priority for emergency management, he said.
“We were a little unprepared and since then, we’ve just continually tried to improve,” he said. “Municipal maintenance didn’t have to come out and by 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, Eversource had resumed normal operations.”
To help be better prepared, LaRue said heestablished a stronger line of communication with Eversource to direct them to where help is needed most.
“We have access to the Eversource Municipal Hub where we can input where wires are down and Eversource can prioritize them,” he said. “During the July storm, we told Eversource to make Tobey Hospital a priority and power was restored in half-an-hour.”
Also done in preparation, Municipal Maintenance trimmed trees along Glenn Charlie Road that had they not been cut back, LaRue said that a lot more people could have lost power due to the storm.
“With 20 mile-per-hour winds and a peak of 36— to only have two trees reported down is good work,” he said.
