As a legislator, I receive updates from the Department of Public Safety.

These updates detail weather events and emergency response actions across the state. I’ll post them here as they come in. Some are pasted in and some are just posted as links.

The statement from January 28,12:15 PM is the last statement that I will post.

Latest Statement #13, January 28, 12:15PM

Donwload:
Situational Awareness Statement #13

Previous Statement #12

Situational Awareness Statement _12, January 28, 7:00AM

Previous Statement, January 27, 8PM

Download: Situational Awareness Statement #10

Previous Statement, January 27, 1PM

MASSACHUSETTS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS STATEMENT

January 27, 2015

1:00 PM

At 12 PM today, Governor Baker issued an Order rescinding the travel ban for all roads in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties, with the exception of Interstate 90 (Massachusetts Turnpike). The travel ban remains in effect for all other areas of the Commonwealth, including all of Interstate 90. The Order is effective immediately.

Previous report 11:30AM

Click to download — Situational Awareness Statement #9

Previous Report

DATE: January 27th, 2015

TIME: 8 AM

SUBJECT: Major and Destructive Winter Storm/Blizzard Impacting the State

SHELTER STATUS:

Shelters are currently open in the following communities:

Independent/Locally Operated

Acushnet

Boxford

Braintree

Brookline

Cambridge

Carver

Fairhaven

Hanover

Lakeville

Lynnfield

Marshfield

New Bedford

Newburyport

Phillipston

Salisbury

Scituate

Waltham

West Newbury

Locally-Operated/Red Cross Supported:

Barnstable

Yarmouth

Sandwich

Nantucket

Red Cross Managed:

Lowell

Methuen

Northampton

Plymouth

Worcester

Total Capacity: 7623

Occupancy: 192

STORM REORTS

SKYWARN observers reported the following snowfall totals in Massachusetts as of 6:25 AM:

Sandwich, MA: 18.0″
Oxford, MA: 18.0″
Shrewsbury, MA: 18.0″
East Freetown, MA: 15.0″
North Falmouth, MA: 12.5″
Plymouth, MA 12.0″ (4 Foot drifts)
Sturbridge, MA: 12.0″
North Acushnet, MA: 11.5″
Charlton, MA: 11.0″
Fairhaven, MA: 10.0″
Littleton, MA: 10.0″
Concord, MA: 10.0″
Centerville, MA: 9.0″
Hubbardston, MA: 8.0″
Nantucket, MA: 8.0″

In addition SKYWARN reports the following as of 5:47 AM:

Whiteout conditions on portions of Cape Cod and South Coastal Massachusetts.
Hurricane force wind gusts reported on Nantucket. Wind damage reports increasing
Coastal flooding on parts of East Coastal Massachusetts and Cape Cod and the Islands.

Current Radar Image:

STATUS UPDATE

Local Communities

As of 7:45 AM, 85 cities and towns have declared local states of emergency and 109 have opened local emergency operations centers.

Pilgrim Station

At approximately 4:05 AM Pilgrim Station experienced an automatic scram and went offline due to the loss of the power lines that supply the station. Their emergency diesel generators are supplying power to their safety systems. The plant has diesel fuel on site to operate the generators for up to one week. The plant is in a safe mode and did not reach any emergency classification.

As of 6:45 AM Plymouth Fire Department was on route to Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station now due to multiple reports of arcing wires. Pilgrim Sands Hotel (Warren Ave) is in the process of being evacuated (approximately 12 persons are being moved to a local shelter) as water has breached the building.

MEMA Regional Offices

MEMA Region 1 (northeast MA) reports no issues at this time.

MEMA Region 2 (southeast MA) reports the following:

Nantucket – Island is 100% out of power. Evacuated 11 people from flooded areas to their shelter. Cell phone coverage has gone down. ESF-2 has been notified. MEMA is in communication with the Emergency Management Director; the town is assessing its potential need for shelter support. MEMA is working with NSTAR to evaluate the problem and likely duration of the outage.

Sandwich – EOC reports their UHF/VHF communications are down for EOC, Fire, DPW & Backup. It’s unknown if this is due to power issues, ice, or structure damage.
Plymouth – EMD reports 2 people rescued from vehicle in Eel River by Long Beach.
Duxbury, Hull, Marshfield, Scituate, Quincy experiencing roadway flooding due to high tides.
Sandwich – Requested assistance to evacuate residents from a flooded area. They directed the request to the Barnstable County MACC and the request will be filled by Barnstable County resources.
Scituate – Has 5 ton vehicle on-site to assist with evacuating public from flooded neighborhood.
Hull – Two National Guard vehicles are on scene to assist with emergency access to flooded areas.

MEMA Region 3/4 (central and western MA) reports no issues at this time.

MassDOT

MassDOT reports the following general information:

As of 1600 on 1/26/2015, the MEMA SEOC was stood up to Level 3 (Full Activation) and the ESF1 Desk has been staffed for this event.
Travel ban in effect from midnight (00:00 1/27/2015) until further notice on Massachusetts roadways.
All Districts are in Snow and Ice Operation.
MBTA Service suspended for Tuesday, January 27, 2015.
Most RTAs have suspended service for Tuesday, January 27, 2015.
Per MSP, the speed limit on I-90 has been reduced to 40 MPH from the New York Border to the Rt-495 Interchange (Exit 11A). Currently no restrictions on propane or tandems.

District Conditions and Impacts
District	Comments
Overall/HOC	All Districts continue in snow and ice operations. Travel Ban in effect across the state. Speed limit reduced to 40 MPH on I-90 from the NY border to 128 Weston. 93N exit 14 closed to Morrissey Blvd. due to flooding Oak Bluffs, Beach Rd at Heart Haven, closed to Edgartown due to high winds and flooding. Vineyard Haven, State Road both directions 5 corners to Eastville Rd closed due to high winds and ocean splash over. Statewide Summary: 3597 Pieces of equipment. 768 MassDOT employees.
District 1 (Lenox)	Is reporting light to moderate snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district is plowing the roads. 60 Pieces of hired equipment. 34 MassDOT pieces of equipment. 73 MassDOT employees. Max. Snow Amounts reported: 1A – 4.70 inches 1B – 5 inches 1C – 2.25 inches 1D – 5.50 inches
District 2 (Northampton)	Is reporting moderate snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district is chemically treating and plowing the roads. 254 Pieces of hired equipment 53 MassDOT pieces of equipment. 117 MassDOT employees. Max. Snow Amounts reported: 2A – 5.50 inches 2B – 6 inches 2C – 6.50 inches
District 3 (Worcester)	Is reporting heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district is plowing the roads. 545 Pieces of hired equipment. 50 MassDOT pieces of equipment. 156 MassDOT employees Max. Snow Amounts reported: 3A – 11 inches 3B – 18.50 inches 3C – 15 inches
District 4 (Arlington)	Is reporting moderate to heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district continues to plow the roads. 1089 Pieces of hired equipment. 26 MassDOT pieces of equipment. 146 MassDOT employees. Max. Snow Amounts reported: 4A – 13.50 inches 4B – 14.50 inches 4C – 14 inches
District 5 (Taunton)	Is reporting moderate to heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district is chemically treating and plowing the roads. Experiencing white out conditions. There have been a few requests for plowing specific areas by SP but the visibility for the plow operators is minimal and hazardous. The District is trying to keep up with the snow fall at high rates with high wind gusts. There have been a few calls for flooding in Dennis, Harwich, Chatham and Eastham. This would most likely be due to tidal waters along Rte. 6A & 28. The CNG site in Middleboro is still not working. 1034 Pieces of hired equipment. 23 MassDOT pieces of equipment. 139 MassDOT employees. Max. Snow Amounts reported: 5A – 15 inches 5B – 15 inches 5C- 15.50 inches 5D – 15 inches 5E – 11 inches
District 6 (Boston)	Is reporting moderate to heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district continues to plow the roads. 376 Pieces of hired equipment. 53 MassDOT pieces of equipment. 137 MassDOT employees Max. Snow Amounts reported: 6A – 16.50 inches 6B – 15 inches 6C – 10.50 inches 6D – 14 inches

General Conditions and Impacts
MBTA – All service suspended for Tuesday (1/27/2015). All Regional Transit Authorities (with the exception of Vineyard Transit Authority) have suspended service for Tuesday, January 27, 2015. All Amtrak service on the Downeaster Line between Maine and Boston and the Springfield line is now suspended through Tuesday, January 27, 2015. The Steamship Authority has suspended all of Tuesday’s ferry service for the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Amtrak is suspending service for Tuesday, January 27, 2015.
Aviation
Facility	Location	Status
Boston Logan Int’l Airport	Boston	UPDATE: Airport open, no flights operating. UPDATE: JetBlue deicing in preparation for departureUPDATE: JetBlue, Turkish and DHL deicing and attempting to depart UPDATE: Plane was swept by three MSP Explosive detection canine teams and two EOD Teams with negative results. 94 pieces of luggage re screened with negative results. Flight is cancelled due to the flight Crew being over hours. Plane returned to Jet Blue. No threat to aviation security detected ORIGINAL: All flights canceled, Security threat to AC, PAX’s have been offloaded and rebooked, flight canceled and AC is having security sweep conducted at this time by MSP.
Hanscom Field	Bedford	ORIGINAL: Airport open, no flights operating.
Worcester Regional Airport	Worcester	ORIGINAL: Airport open, no flights operating.
Public Use Airports (Unless Noted)	Multiple	Numerous public use airports are closed due to weather conditions.

Department of Recreation and Conservation

DCR reports the following:

Road Closures:

– Winthrop Parkway in Revere and Winthrop.

– Nantasket Ave and Hull Shore Drive, Hull

– Quincy Shore Drive

– Morrissey Blvd. (plans to re-open at 7:30am to Emergency Vehicles ONLY)

DCR Snow Crews continue to be in full operational mode.

DCR Parks status:

Visitor centers and park buildings will remain closed as park staff are engaged in Snow operations. Some park gates will remain closed until snow removal operations deem the area safe for public access. DCR managed rinks and park visitor centers remain closed until further notice.

DCR staff will work to reopen these facilities as the storm dissipates, but advises residents of potential delays and to use caution when visiting parks and report any safety concerns to staff

MA Department of Public Health

MDPH reports the following:

Hospitals:

Hospitals have received guidance from MDPH related to patient discharge and the travel ban.
Nantucket Cottage Hospital reported being on generator and having some heating issues. They are not requesting assistance at this time. All other DPH Region 5 hospitals not reporting any issues at this time.

Long Term Care (MassMAP):

MassMAP continues to be activated to assess available long term beds and transportation resources.

MassMAP has set up all 5 LTC Coordinating Centers and each has a minimum of 1 staff member.
A total of 4 operational issues have been reported, nothing material about facility infrastructure is expected.
Open beds: 1,926 (1,766 nursing home; 102 assisted living; 29 rehab; 29 senior IL). Transportation vehicles: Move 1,485 resident/396 in wheelchairs.

Dialysis Centers:

If there are Dialysis Center needs, MDPH has requested that centers reach out to their local EMDs for assistance.
ESF-8 will remain in contact with Network New England representatives to gain better situational awareness of any concerns across the Commonwealth.

Medical Reserve Corps:

4 MRC units have placed volunteers on stand-by. 3 have deployed volunteers to shelters.
ESF-8 is assisting with a request for volunteers from the City of Cambridge.

Department of Fire Services

As of 4 AM DFS reports all the Fire District control points were polled for their status and needs. All responded that call volume was lower than normal and there were no mutual aid requests. Additionally the Hazmat Control centers were engaged and report situation normal.

MA National Guard

MANG: At present the MANG has 4 major operations ongoing:

Mission # 9479758: Hi Water Evacuation team is standing by in Plymouth and Bourne and working with MSP and MEP, preparing for follow on missions in Newburyport and Ipswich.
Mission # 8572253: Stranded Motorist Program with MSP to support 19 locations throughout the state.
Mission #: 1154773 Hi Water Evacuation ongoing in Scituate.
Mission #: 6577329 Hi Water Evacuation is ongoing in Hull.

Approximately 300 Soldiers activated and supporting these missions. In addition, MANG have soldiers supporting storm activities at the SEOC, JFHQ-Hanscom AFB and at various armories throughout the state.

MA State Police

MSP reports the following:

TROOP A:

The National Guard is on scene in Ipswich assisting with evacuations at Elm Street in Ipswich.

TROOP B:

8 troopers from Mid shift held over and various other personnel from different units (SPDU, IA, CAT teams etc.) will be available to assist on day shift at all Troop B barracks
Outside agencies- Two Environmental Police Officers at B-6 were relieved at 0700. Four (4) MA Army guard personnel are at BHQ with two UNIMOG type trucks available for deployment.
Traffic appears to be extremely light viewed via Mass Hwy monitoring system. No road closures of note. No power outages or downed trees reported.
No other current incidents related to storm to report.

TROOP C:

Receiving reports that plows are lagging behind in the Westborough area, particularly Route 9.
Traffic is still very light and snow drifts are creating complications in most ramp complexes throughout the Troop.
No power outages or significant events to report at this time.

TROOP D:

Mass DOT is still maintaining the roadways.
Troop manpower stands at 70 officers.
Several minor spinouts and cars off the road.
SP Norwell reporting power outages in Duxbury.
SP Nantucket reporting downtown streets are flooded & evacuations are taken place.

TROOP E:

Roadway remains snow covered. Very little to no traffic. Snow continues to fall at a rapid pace. A few skid accidents. None with PI.
Mid shift is not held in any of the E Troop Barracks.
No reports of outages along the pike.

TROOP F:

Troop F reports for the following airports:

Logan International Airport: Heavy snow, Temp 15, wind 29 MPH. Roadways are snow covered but passable. Airport status is open. No power outages.
Hanscom: Heavy snow, Temp 14, wind 23 MPH. Roadways are snow covered but passable. Airport status is open. No power outages.
Worcester: Heavy snow, Temp 13, wind 17 MPH. Roadways are snow covered but passable. Airport status is open. No power outages.

Troop F reports for the following terminals:

Conley Container Terminal: Heavy snow, Temp 16, wind 22 MPH. Roadways are snow covered but passable. Port status open. No power outages. Minimal staffing.
Seaport: Heavy snow, Temp 16, wind 22 MPH. Roadways are snow covered but passable. Light traffic conditions. No power outages.
Charlestown Properties: Heavy snow, Temp 17, wind 23 MPH. Roadways are snow covered but passable. Very light traffic conditions. No power outages.

TROOP H:

Troop H area patrols advise heavy snow continues to fall, with high winds at this time. Roadways are primarily snow covered. Quincy Shore Dr. inbound between Furnace Brook Pkwy. and Fenno St. is closed due to flooding. Morrissey Blvd. in both directions between Freeport St. and U Mass Boston is closed due to flooding. MassDOT and DCR have plows out attempting to clear the roadways. Traffic volume is extremely light throughout the troop, but reports have been coming in of an occasional spin-out and DMV.

H-1 Government Center- Desk and four patrols (all patrols started at 0400)
H-2 SP Framingham- Desk and ten patrols
H-3 SP Foxboro- Desk and fifteen patrols
H-4 SP Boston- Desk and seven patrols
H-5 SP Brighton- Desk and eleven patrols
H-6 SP S. Boston- Desk and twelve patrols
H-7 SP Milton- Desk and sixteen patrols
HHQ- Shift commander and Shift Supervisor – 2 Lieutenant, Patrol Supervisor

Utilities Status:

Power Outage Image

Customer Outage Numbers as of 8:00 AM:

NSTAR 9,575

National Grid 13,264

WMECO 1

Unitil 0

Total 22,840

MEMA OPERATIONS

The State Emergency Operations Center is operating at Level 3 (Full Activation). Regional EOCs in Tewksbury, Bridgewater, and Agawam are staffed and operational.

The SEOC Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance Sections are stood up and are supported by liaisons from the following Emergency Support Functions (ESFs):

ESF-1 (Transportation)

ESF-2 (Communications)

ESF-3 (Public Works & Engineering)

ESF-4 (Firefighting)

ESF-5 (Business and Industry)

ESF-6 (Mass Care)

ESF-8 (Health and Medical)

ESF-9 (Search and Rescue)

ESF-10 (Hazardous Materials and Environmental Protection)

ESF-12 (Energy)

ESF-13 (Public Safety and Security)

ESF-15 (Public Information)

ESF-16 (Military Support)

STAY INFORMED

For additional information and updated forecasts, see www.weather.gov/boston (National Weather Service Taunton) and www.weather.gov/albany (National Weather Service Albany)

Utilize Massachusetts Alerts to receive emergency notifications and information from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service. Massachusetts Alerts is a free app that is available for Android and iPhones. To learn more about Massachusetts Alerts, and for information on how to download the free app onto your smartphone, visit: www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp.

Utilize MEMA’s real-time power outage viewer to stay informed about current power outages in your community and region, and across the state, including information from utility companies about restoration times: http://mema.mapsonline.net/public.html

Online Resources:

For additional information and resources, visit:
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency at www.mass.gov/mema
MEMA’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MassachusettsEMA
MEMA Twitter: @MassEMA
Federal Emergency Management Agency at www.fema.gov
National Weather Service/Taunton at www.weather.gov/boston
National Weather Service/Albany, NY at www.weather.gov/albany
National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center: http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/
Northeast River Forecast Center: http://www.weather.gov/nerfc/

Mass211 at www.mass211.org

Previous report, #7, 5:30AM

DATE: January 27, 2015

TIME: 5:30 AM

SUBJECT: Major and Destructive Winter Storm/Blizzard to Impact the State

Shelter Status:

Shelters are currently open in the following communities:

Independent/Locally Operated

Acushnet

Boxford

Braintree

Brookline

Cambridge

Carver

Fairhaven

Hanover

Lakeville

Lynnfield

Marshfield

New Bedford

Newburyport

Phillipston

Salisbury

Scituate

Waltham

West Newbury

Locally-Operated/Red Cross Supported:

Barnstable

Eastham

Fall River

Falmouth

Harwich

Sandwich

Weymouth

Yarmouth

Red Cross Managed:

Lowell

Methuen

Northampton

Plymouth

Tisbury

Worcester

Total Capacity: 8,612

Occupancy: 142

Storm Reports:

SKYWARN observers reported the following snowfall totals in Massachusetts as of 3:30 AM:

Sandwich, MA: 13.0″
Pembroke, MA: 12.0″
Cotuit, MA: 11.5″
New Bedford, MA: 11.0″
Shrewsbury, MA: 10.3″ (Drifts to 2 feet)
Salem, MA: 9.0″
Lynn, MA: 8.5″
Haverhill, MA: 5.5″
Westminster, MA: 4.5″

SKYWARN observers reported the following wind gust observations:

Nantucket, MA (Siasconset): 78 MPH Gust at 1138 PM
Aquinnah, MA: 64 MPH Gust at 1044 PM
Barnstable (Marstons Mills), MA: 63 MPH Gust at 325 AM
Edgartown, MA: 61 MPH Gust at 121 AM
Oak Bluffs, MA: 60 MPH Gust at 1224 AM
Wellfleet, MA: 60 MPH Gust at 210 AM
Fairhaven, MA (West Island): 58 MPH Gust at 1100 PM
Sandwich, MA: 58 MPH Gust at 1240 AM
Scituate, MA (Humarock Beach): 58 MPH Gust at 251 AM
Rockport, MA: 57 MPH Gust at 115 AM
Fall River, MA: 52 MPH Gust at 1236
West Chatham, MA: 50 MPH Gust at 100 AM
Norwell, MA: 50 MPH Gust
Bourne, MA: 46 MPH Gust at 1226 AM

Current Radar Image:

(Blue: snow; pink: mix; green: rain)

Status Updates:

As of 5:30 AM, 103 cities and towns have declared local states of emergency and 77 have opened local emergency operations centers.

At approximately 4:05 AM Pilgrim Station experienced an automatic scram and went offline due to the loss of the power lines that supply the station. Their emergency diesel generators are supplying power to their safety systems. The plant is in a safe mode and did not reach any emergency classification.

MEMA Region 1 (northeast MA) contacted coastal and other communities overnight. In general, no major issues were reported. Significant events reported by communities were as follows:

Boston – Morrissey Blvd. closed from 2-6:30 am
Boston – Exit 14 off I93 NB closed
Lawrence – House fire; 12 displaced being sheltered at Methuen regional shelter
Roadway flooding in Manchester-by-the-Sea and Salisbury

MEMA Region 2 (southeast MA) reports the following:

Sandwich EOC reports their UHF/VHF communications are down for EOC, Fire, DPW & Backup. It’s unknown if this is due to power issues, ice, or structure damage.
Plymouth EMD reports 2 people rescued from vehicle in Eel River by Long Beach.
Duxbury, Hull, Marshfield, Scituate, and Quincy experiencing roadway flooding due to high tides.
Requests for Assistance

o Plymouth requested additional MassDOT plows to clear up Rte 3A.

o Hull has 2.5 ton military vehicle en route to assist with accessing part of town impassible for 4 hours due to high tide.

o Scituate has 5 ton on site to assist with evacuating public from flooded neighborhood.

MEMA Region 3/4 (central and western MA) reports the following:

No significant issues at this time.
No resource requests at this time.
Total of 7 individuals in shelters (6 in Northampton, 1 in Worcester)

MassDOT District Conditions and Impacts
District	Comments
Overall/HOC	· All Districts continue in snow and ice operations.· Pavement temperatures across the state remain below freezing.· RT 3A both directions Plymouth at Rocky Hill Rd. Road closed due to multiple spin outs awaiting on MassDOT then road will reopen. · Speed limit reduced to 40 MPH on I-90 from the NY border to 128 Weston. · Statewide Summary: o Statewide Summary: o 3522 Pieces of equipment. o 757 MassDOT employees
District 1 (Lenox)	· District One is receiving moderate snow with moderate winds. The roads are snow covered. The district is chemically treating and plowing the roads.· 50 Pieces of hired equipment. · 33 MassDOT pieces of equipment. · 70 MassDOT employees. · Max. Snow Amounts reported: o 1A- 4.50 inches o 1B- 3 inches o 1C- 1.50 inches o 1D- 4 inches
District 2 (Northampton)	· District 2 – Is reporting light to moderate snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district is chemically treating and plowing the roads.· 253 Pieces of hired equipment· 53 MassDOT pieces of equipment. · 117 MassDOT employees. · Max. Snow Amounts reported: o 2A- 3 inches o 2B- 5 inches o 2C- 5 inches
District 3 (Worcester)	· District 3 – Is reporting moderate to heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district continues to plow the roads.· 542 Pieces of hired equipment.· 50 MassDOT pieces of equipment. · 156 MassDOT employees · Max. Snow Amounts reported: o 3A- 7.50 inches o 3B- 12 inches o 3C- 10 inches
District 4 (Arlington)	· District 4 – Is reporting moderate to heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered.The district continues to plow the roads.· 1028 Pieces of hired equipment.· 25 MassDOT pieces of equipment. · 139 MassDOT employees. · Max. Snow Amounts reported: o 4A -8.50 inches o 4B – 10 inches o 4C -8.75 inches
District 5 (Taunton)	· District 5 – Is reporting moderate to heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district continues to plow the roads.· CNG service is down in Middleboro, AVSG contacted. Walpole CNG is functioning. · District 5 – Is reporting moderate to heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district continues to plow the roads. · 1036 Pieces of hired equipment. · 23 MassDOT pieces of equipment. · 139 MassDOT employees. · Max. Snow Amounts reported: o 5A – 12 inches o 5B – 12 o 5C – 13 o 5D – 10 o 5E – 11
District 6 (Boston)	· District 6 – Is reporting moderate to heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district continues to plow the roads.· 376 Pieces of hired equipment.· 53 MassDOT pieces of equipment. · 136 MassDOT employees · Max. Snow Amounts reported: o 6A – 12.50 inches o 6B – 14 inches o 6C – 7.50 inches o 6D – 11.50 inches

DCR reports the following road closures:

Quincy:

o Quincy Shore Drive Inbound Closed (Furnace Brook Pkwy to Fenno Street due to flooding)

Hull:

o Nantasket Avenue – Northbound – Wharf Ave to Water Street

o Hull Shore Drive – George Washnington Blvd to Water Street

o Anastos Corner Southbound – working on getting help to close (contacting Hull PD)

Revere:

o All of Short Beach (Winthrop Parkway) is closed off with two contractors on site water at least 8” deep and this is prior to high tide

o Revere has an staff on the Revere Beach Blvd by the State Police due to water starting to come over the walls due to the wind

Reporting some splash over on Nahant Causeway, but no significant flooding. Road remains open while State Police and DCR are monitoring.
Near whiteout conditions along Morrissey reported. It will be closed to all traffic (inc. emergency vehicles) 0200 to 0630 from Freeport Street (exit 14 I93) to UMass. DOT, MSP & Mayor’s office have been informed. DOT updated their VMS. DCR plans on closing it down again before the next high tide at 4:56pm Tuesday afternoon and keeping it closed until after the next high tide at 5:25am Wednesday, January 28, and subsequent cleanup.

MWRA reports the following:

No power outages in any facilities.
No disruption of services. All facilities fully operable.
No impacts to access roads due to flooding and pending high tide.
Still on power generation at Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant as precautionary measure.
MWRA crews are out plowing all access roads.

MDPH reports the following:

DPH issued the following guidance to hospitals related to patient discharge and the travel ban:

“During this severe winter storm, with a Travel Ban ordered by the Governor going into effect at midnight, January 27, 2015, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality encourages extreme caution if hospitals discharge patients. Prior to discharge, hospitals must ensure that patients have a safe means of traveling to their home, and discharge must be avoided during periods of high winds and/or when roads may present a particular hazard such as long geographic distances to home or other post-discharge setting, or travel to rural areas. Whenever possible, discharges should wait until later in the day. Hospitals should ensure that patients have access to any necessary medical equipment and supplies, including prescription medications and electricity where necessary, prior to discharge. Any patient whose discharge represents an unnecessary risk, or who is uncomfortable traveling, should remain in a safe setting until conditions ease.”

MassMAP has set up all 5 LTC Coordinating Centers and each has a minimum of 1 staff member. A total of 4 operational issues have been reported, nothing material about facility infrastructure is expected. MassMAP activated on 01/26/2015 to assess available long term beds and transportation resources. 331 of 468 (70%) of facilities participated. Open beds: 1,926 (1,766 nursing home; 102 assisted living; 29 rehab; 29 senior IL). Transportation vehicles: Move 1,485 resident/396 in wheelchairs.
DPH was queried on the potential availability of assistance to support movement of homebound dialysis patients to outpatient End Stage Renal Disease Outpatient facilities. DPH contacted the Regional ESRD network for assistance to gauge the scope of the problem. Network New England has reached out to the ESRD service providers in the Commonwealth to survey the needs of their patient populations to see if there are patients that may be at risk of not being able to be dialyzed according to their treatment plan. Network New England’s recommendation to the Dialysis facilities is to contact the local EMD. ESF-8 will reconnect with Network New England representatives to gain better situational awareness of any concerns across the Commonwealth.
4 MRC units have placed volunteers on stand-by. 3 have deployed volunteers to shelters.

MA State Police reports the following:

Troop A – Northeastern:

o SP Revere reports no problems with the beaches and spillover from the waves.

o No roads are closed due to splash over and the storm gates are not closed.

Troop B – Western:

o Roads slightly snow covered with snow removal efforts in full force throughout Troop.

o Traffic appears to be flowing normally at somewhat reduced speeds. NO backups reported or viewed via Mass Hwy monitoring system. NO road closures of note. No reported power outages or downed trees.

o NO current incidents related to storm to report.

Troop C – Central:

o Currently, the roads are showing increasing accumulation in the Central Mass area, particularly in the western portion of the Troop.

o The persistent accumulation is presenting hazardous conditions on all major roadways.

o There are currently no closures on major roadways in C Troop.

Troop D – Southeastern:

o A few minor spinouts and cars off the road, no significant incidents to report.

o Received 2 task assignments from local communities:

At approx. 0130, we sent a 5 ton Military Vehicle to Scituate to assist Scituate FD with storm related evacuations starting at 0300 until approx. 0700.
At approx. 0400 we sent a 2 1/2 ton Military Vehicle to Hull to assist Hull FD with storm related evacuations to augment local and National Guard assets.
Troop E – Turnpike / Zakim Bridge / Tunnels:

o There is minimal if any traffic on the Mass Pike at this time.

o SP Charlton reports over a foot of snow on the ground. Plows and crews have been working through the night but the road is barely passable at this time.

o There is a very small amount of traffic in the Boston area on Route 93 and the Tunnels.

o A car is currently being removed from a snow bank on Route 93 SB at exit 18. It should be removed soon.

Troop F – Logan Airport:

o Logan Airport: Airport is open. Moderate snow cover on roads.

o Hanscom Airport: Airport is closed. Moderate snow cover on roads. No flights.

o Worcester Airport: Airport is closed. Moderate snow cover on roads. No flights.

o Conley Terminal: Port is open with minimum staffing. Moderate snow cover on roads.

o Seaport: Moderate snow cover on roads. Light traffic. Parking ban is in effect.

o Charlestown Properties: Moderate snow cover on roads. Light traffic.

Troop H – Metropolitan Boston:

o Troop H area patrols advise heavy snow fall with high winds at this time. Roadways are primarily snow covered.

o Quincy Shore Dr. inbound between Furnace Brook Pkwy. and Fenno St. is closed due to flooding.

o Morrissey Blvd. in both directions between Freeport St. and U Mass Boston is closed due to flooding.

o MassDOT and DCR have plows out clearing the roadways.

o Traffic volume is extremely light throughout the troop.

Utilities Status:

Current power outage numbers by company as of 5:30 AM:

WMECO: 0

National Grid: 1,470

NSTAR: 7,868

UNITIL: 0

Total: 9,338

MEMA Operations

The State Emergency Operations Center is operating at Level 3 (Full Activation) as of 4:00 PM this afternoon. Regional EOCs in Tewksbury, Bridgewater, and Agawam are staffed and operational.

The SEOC has stood up its Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance Sections and is supported by liaisons from the following Emergency Support Functions (ESFs):

ESF-1 (Transportation)

ESF-2 (Communications)

ESF-3 (Public Works & Engineering)

ESF-4 (Firefighting)

ESF-5 (Business and Industry)

ESF-6 (Mass Care)

ESF-7 (Volunteers and Donations)

ESF-8 (Health and Medical)

ESF-9 (Search and Rescue)

ESF-10 (Hazardous Materials and Environmental Protection)

ESF-12 (Energy)

ESF-13 (Public Safety and Security)

ESF-15 (Public Information)

ESF-16 (Military Support)

Stay Informed

For additional information and updated forecasts, see www.weather.gov/boston (National Weather Service Taunton) and www.weather.gov/albany (National Weather Service Albany)

Online Resources:

Mass211 at www.mass211.org

Previous Report, #6, 3AM

From: Holloway, Paul (CDA)
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2015 3:01 AM
To: CDA-DL – ALL; CDA-DL – Public Sector; CDA-DL – ESF Team; CDA-DL – Private Sector; EPS-DL – SA-Executive-Agencies; sitreps@nesec.org
Subject: Situational Awareness Statement # 6 – Major and Destructive Winter Storm/Blizzard to Impact the Commonwealth

________________________________

[cid:image001.png@01D039DD.6372FBE0][cid:image002.jpg@01D039DD.6372FBE0]

DATE: January 27, 2015
TIME: 3:00 AM

SUBJECT: Major and Destructive Winter Storm/Blizzard to Impact the State

Coastal Flooding:
Widespread moderate with pockets of major coastal flooding will occur along the eastern Massachusetts coast during this morning’s high tide at around 4:30 AM. Structural damage is likely in more vulnerable locations. Severe beach erosion is expected, particularly for portions of Plum Island and along east-facing shorelines of Orleans, Chatham, and Nantucket.

Shelter Status:
Shelters are currently open in the following communities:

Independent/Locally Operated
Acushnet
Boxford
Braintree
Brookline
Cambridge
Carver
Fairhaven
Hanover
Lakeville
Lynnfield
Marshfield
New Bedford
Newburyport
Salisbury
Scituate
Waltham
West Newbury

Locally-Operated/Red Cross Supported:
Barnstable
Eastham
Fall River
Falmouth
Harwich
Sandwich
Weymouth
Yarmouth

Red Cross Managed:
Lowell
Methuen
Northampton
Plymouth
Tisbury
Worcester

Total Capacity: 8,562
Occupancy: 142

Storm Reports:

SKYWARN observers reported the following snowfall totals in Massachusetts as of 2:40 AM:

· Cotuit, MA: 11.5″

· Sandwich, MA: 10.5″

· Falmouth, MA: 9.0″

· Acushnet, MA: 8.5″ (Acushnet EOC: 8.0″)

· East Freetown, MA: 8.0″

· New Bedford, MA: 7.0″

· Shrewsbury, MA: 7.0″

· Wales, MA: 4.5″

· Sudbury, MA: 4.0″

· Agawam, MA: 2.8″

SKYWARN observers reported the following wind gust observations:

· Nantucket, MA (Siasconset): 77 MPH Gust at 1138 PM

· Oak Bluffs, MA: 60 MPH Gust at 1224 AM

· Fairhaven, MA (West Island): 58 MPH Gust at 1100 PM

· Sandwich, MA: 58 MPH Gust at 1240 AM

· Aquinnah, MA: 57 MPH Gust at 919 PM

· Edgartown, MA: 56 MPH Gust at 1252 AM

· Barnstable (Marstons Mills), MA: 53 MPH Gust at 1200 AM

· Wellfleet, MA: 53 MPH Gust at 1215 AM

· Fall River, MA: 52 MPH Gust at 1236 AM

· Scituate, MA (Humarock Beach): 52 MPH Gust at 1250 AM

Current Radar Image:

(Blue: snow; pink: mix; green: rain)

[cid:image007.jpg@01D039DD.99338330]

Status Updates:

As of 2:30 AM, 102 cities and towns have declared local states of emergency and 77 have opened their local emergency operations centers.

MassDOT reports the following:

· The speed limit on the Mass Pike has been lowered to 40 mph between the New York border and Rt. 128.

· A utility pole is down on Rt. 1A in Boston near Boardman St., closing the road to truck traffic. Cars can get by but not large plow trucks

· District 1 (Lenox) – Light to moderate snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district continues to plow the roads.

· District 2 (Northampton) – Moderate to heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district continues to plow the roads.

· District 3 (Worcester) – Moderate to heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district continues to plow the roads.

· District 4 (Arlington) – Moderate to heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district continues to plow the roads.

· District 5 (Taunton) – Moderate to heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district continues to plow the roads.

· District 6 (Boston) – Moderate to heavy snow. Roadways are snow covered. The district continues to plow the roads.

· Statewide summary: 3,507 pieces of equipment and 754 MassDOT employees.

DCR reports the following:

· Morrissey Blvd. will be shut down completely from Freeport St. to UMass between 2 AM and 6:30 AM due to the impending high tide. MSP Troop H has been notified and MassDOT has shut down Exit 14 from I-93 NB. No emergency response vehicles will be able to pass through. The DCR storm desk and Boston Mayor’s Office have been notified.

MA State Police reports the following:

· Troop A – Northeastern:

o Troopers from SP Concord & SP Danvers assisted in escort of blood from Troop H (Dedham Red Cross) to the Salem Hospital in Salem, MA. Salem PD to complete escort from Peabody line.

o The following National Guard supplemental personnel have reported to Troop A:

§ A-1 : 6 soldiers, 2 five ton trucks

§ A-2 : 4 soldiers, 1 five ton truck, 1 Humvee

§ A-3: 4 soldiers, 2 five ton trucks

§ A-6: 4 soldiers, 2 five ton trucks

· Troop B – Western:

o Two EPOs are at B-6 with two snowmobiles. Both officers will be available for any eventuality.

o Four (4) MA Army Guard personnel are at BHQ with two UNIMOG type trucks available for deployment.

o Traffic appears to be flowing normally at somewhat reduced speeds. NO backups reported or viewed via Mass Hwy monitoring system.

o No road closures of note. Easthampton PD will be closing Rte 141 Mountain pass at midnight as is their usual storm related precautionary measure due to the steep grade.

o No current incidents related to storm to report.

· Troop C – Central:

o All roads snow covered, but passable.

o No road closures.

o No significant incidents.

· Troop D – Southeastern:

o No significant incidents to report.

· Troop E – Turnpike / Zakim Bridge / Tunnels:

o Road conditions remain very poor but passable. There is still a small amount of traffic, including tractor trailers which are traveling on Rte 90.

o SP Westfield continues to work on a jackknifed tractor trailer off the road at the 42 MM westbound in Westfield. The left lane is getting by at that location and traffic is very light.

o There are no other ongoing issues at this time.

· Troop F – Logan Airport:

o Logan Airport: Airport is open. Moderate snow cover on roads. Last JetBlue flight has been cancelled and is deplaning.

o Hanscom Airport: Airport is closed. Moderate snow cover on roads. No flights.

o Worcester Airport: Airport is closed. Moderate snow cover on roads. No flights.

o Conley Terminal: Port is open with minimum staffing. Moderate snow cover on roads.

o Seaport: Moderate snow cover on roads. Light traffic. Parking ban is in effect.

o Charlestown Properties: Moderate snow cover on roads. Light traffic.

· Troop H – Metropolitan Boston:

o Troop H area patrols advise heavy snowfall with high winds at this time. Roadways are primarily snow covered.

o Cruisers have responded to several motor vehicle spinouts, however there are no major incidents to report at this time.

o MaDOT and DCR have plows out clearing the roadways.

o Traffic volume is light throughout the Troop.

Utilities Status:
[cid:image008.jpg@01D039DD.99338330]
Current power outage numbers by company as of 2:30 AM:
WMECO: 0
National Grid: 1426
NSTAR: 1,640
UNITIL: 0
Total: 3,066

MEMA Operations

The State Emergency Operations Center is operating at Level 3 (Full Activation) as of 4:00 PM this afternoon. Regional EOCs in Tewksbury, Bridgewater, and Agawam are staffed and operational.

The SEOC has stood up its Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance Sections and is supported by liaisons from the following Emergency Support Functions (ESFs):

ESF-1 (Transportation)
ESF-2 (Communications)
ESF-3 (Public Works & Engineering)
ESF-4 (Firefighting)
ESF-5 (Business and Industry)
ESF-6 (Mass Care)
ESF-7 (Volunteers and Donations)
ESF-8 (Health and Medical)
ESF-9 (Search and Rescue)
ESF-10 (Hazardous Materials and Environmental Protection)
ESF-12 (Energy)
ESF-13 (Public Safety and Security)
ESF-15 (Public Information)
ESF-16 (Military Support)

To date, the SEOC has received a total of eight requests for assistance from communities:

· 6 in progress

· 2 completed

Stay Informed

For additional information and updated forecasts, see www.weather.gov/boston<http://www.weather.gov/boston> (National Weather Service Taunton) and www.weather.gov/albany<http://www.weather.gov/albany> (National Weather Service Albany)

Utilize Massachusetts Alerts to receive emergency notifications and information from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service. Massachusetts Alerts is a free app that is available for Android and iPhones. To learn more about Massachusetts Alerts, and for information on how to download the free app onto your smartphone, visit: www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp<http://www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp>.
Utilize MEMA’s real-time power outage viewer to stay informed about current power outages in your community and region, and across the state, including information from utility companies about restoration times: http://mema.mapsonline.net/public.html
Online Resources:
For additional information and resources, visit:
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency at www.mass.gov/mema<http://www.mass.gov/mema>
MEMA’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MassachusettsEMA
MEMA Twitter: @<http://twitter.com/massema>MassEMA
Federal Emergency Management Agency at www.fema.gov<http://www.fema.gov>
National Weather Service/Taunton at www.weather.gov/boston<http://www.weather.gov/boston>
National Weather Service/Albany, NY at www.weather.gov/albany<http://www.weather.gov/albany>
National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center: http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/
Northeast River Forecast Center: http://www.weather.gov/nerfc/
Mass211 at www.mass211.org<http://www.mass211.org/>

Paul Holloway
Planning Unit Manager
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
400 Worcester Road
Framingham, MA 01702-5399

Previous Report — Situational Awareness Statement #3

DATE: January 26, 2015

TIME: 12:30 PM

SUBJECT: Potentially Major and Destructive Winter Storm/Blizzard to Impact the State

Situation

Massachusetts will experience a severe and potentially historic storm this afternoon through Wednesday morning, complete with snowfall measured in feet, damaging winds, and serious coastal flooding. A corridor of heavy, wet snow is expected in southeast MA (east of I-95) where temperatures will near 32 degrees, making for heavy wet snow. Elsewhere, colder temperatures (teens and 20’s) will make for fluffier snow. Snowfall totals are expected to reach over 20 inches across much of the Commonwealth, with pockets of 30+ inches possible. The Cape and Martha’s Vineyard will see 12+ inches. This storm could come close to rivaling the records for Boston (27.6” for the 2003 President’s Day storm) and Worcester (32.1” for the Dec. 11-12, 1992 storm).

The storm will bring potentially damaging winds. The Cape and Martha’s Vineyard may see wind gusts 65-75 mph, with hurricane force winds on the outer Cape and Nantucket and over the waters. Winds will gust from 55-65 mph in southeastern MA, 45-55 mph in the Boston – Providence corridor, 25-45 mph in central MA, and 15-25 in western MA. Strong winds and blizzard conditions will cause considerable blowing and drifting snow with near zero visibility.

The heavy snow and strong winds likely will result in downed tree limbs, trees, and utility poles/wires. Widespread power outages, potentially lasting multiple days, are possible with this storm. Travel may become impossible and life threatening across the state.

Watches and Warnings

Blizzard Warning: S. Worcester, Essex, Middlesex (except northwest Middlesex), Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth counties from 7:00 p.m. Monday through 1:00 a.m. Wednesday, and for Barnstable and Dukes counties from 7:00 p.m. Monday through noon Tuesday.

Winter Storm Warning: Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden, north and central Worcester and northwest Middlesex counties from 7:00 p.m. Monday through 1:00 a.m. Wednesday.

Winter Storm Watch: Nantucket county from 7:00 p.m. Monday through 6:00 p.m. Wednesday.

High Wind Warning: Nantucket county 7:00 p.m. Monday through 1:00 a.m. Wednesday.

Hurricane Force Wind Warning: for all waters except Boston Harbor, Mass Bay, Narragansett Bay and Block Island Sound from 1:00 a.m. through midnight Tuesday.

Coastal Flood Warning: All of eastern Massachusetts coastline including Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket from 3:00 a.m. through 7:00 a.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday.

Timing

Light snow will impact the late afternoon commute on Monday. 1-2” of snow may be on the ground in the Boston/Worcester/Springfield areas by the end of the evening rush hour. Snowfall will be heaviest between late tonight and Tuesday morning, with rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour possible. Thundersnow may also occur in this time window. Snow will continue through Tuesday night at varying intensity and likely last until daybreak Wednesday morning.

Potential Impacts

Heavy Snowfall: Total snowfall amounts of 2-3 feet by Wednesday morning are possible in Eastern and Central Massachusetts, with more than a foot of snow on the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard.

Damaging Winds: Strong and damaging winds, possibly approaching hurricane force gusts; 75mph on the Cape and Islands, up to 80 mph on the outer Cape and Nantucket, 45-55mph in Boston, 25-45 mph in central MA, and 15-25 in western MA.

Coastal Flooding: Moderate flooding and significant beach erosion is likely to occur with pockets of major flooding on northeast-facing shorelines. A 3 – 3 ½ foot storm surge and 20 – 25 foot offshore wave activity is expected. The greatest impact will be during the Tuesday morning high tide (4-5 AM), with anticipated flooding of shoreline roads, damage to vulnerable structures and severe beach erosion. The Tuesday afternoon high tide, while not as high as the morning high tide, will have higher wave activity and is expected to bring moderate flooding and beach erosion.

Wind Chills: 0 to -5 degrees in western/central MA throughout the storm.

Power Outages: Widespread power outages, potentially lasting multiple days, are possible with this storm.

Watches and Warnings:

Expected Snowfall Totals:

Forecast Maximum Wind Gusts:

Coastal Flooding

State of Emergency

Governor Baker issued a State Emergency Declaration at 11:30 a.m.

Travel Ban

Governor Baker has issued a travel ban beginning at midnight tonight. A copy of the Executive Order is attached. The travel ban will be lifted on a county by county basis as conditions allow, and exemptions to the travel ban are as follows:

Public safety vehicles, sworn and civilian public safety personnel, including those providing services at correctional facilities, and private sector security personnel
Public works vehicles and public works personnel, including contract personnel supporting public works operations
Public transportation vehicles and public transportation personnel, including contract personnel supporting public transportation operations
Government personnel conducting official business
Utility company vehicles and personnel, including contract personnel supporting utility response and restoration efforts
Personnel directly supporting storm response operations, including but not limited to emergency shelter personnel
Personnel supporting human services facilities, including but not limited to residential housing programs and human services shelter operations
Healthcare personnel, including home healthcare personnel and personal care assistants
Personnel delivering or supporting services at healthcare facilities, including those that provide long term care and mental health care, as well as hospitals and other healthcare facilities
Vehicles and personnel providing critical supplies to healthcare facilities, including those that provide long term care and mental health care, as well as hospitals and other healthcare facilities

News media
Private sector snow removal equipment engaged in, or traveling in connection with the removal or clearance of snow and ice from public or private sector facilities
Patients traveling for the purpose of receiving urgent critical care, and persons traveling with those patients who are necessary to facilitate that urgent critical care

Travel necessary to maintain critical private sector facilities, services and operations, and to deliver or support critical private sector services and supplies in critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, fuel, financial systems, and the provision of critical commodities
Travel to support business operations that provide critical services to the public, including gasoline stations, pharmacies, food stores and hardware stores

MEMA Operations

The State Emergency Operations Center is operating at Level 2 (Partial Activation). MEMA continues to coordinate with NWS and public safety partners and will activate the SEOC to Level 3 (Full Activation) at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon.

MEMA is actively planning with its Emergency Support Function (ESF) partners around the following high-priority areas:

Public information and alerting
Support for coastal evacuations
Assistance to stranded motorists
Debris management
Emergency fuel
Shelter operations
Power outages and support for utility restoration operations
Mutual aid

MEMA will host a call with local Emergency Management Directors statewide at 10:00 AM today. Additional calls will be scheduled as needed.

MEMA will continue to monitor the forecast and will issue additional Situational Awareness Statements as needed.

Stay Informed

For additional information and updated forecasts, see www.weather.gov/boston (National Weather Service Taunton) and www.weather.gov/albany (National Weather Service Albany)

Online Resources:

Mass211 at www.mass211.org

Blizzard News

Latest Statement #13, January 28, 12:15PM

Previous Statement #12

Previous Statement, January 27, 8PM

Previous Statement, January 27, 1PM

Previous report 11:30AM

Previous Report

Previous report, #7, 5:30AM

Previous Report, #6, 3AM

Previous Report — Situational Awareness Statement #3

Additional Reports

Published by Will Brownsberger