Residents urged to prepare ahead of expected coastal storm

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced preparations underway ahead of the anticipated coastal storm and flooding that is expected to begin on Friday. As part of this storm, three high tides are expected to occur in Boston on Friday at 11:15 a.m., Friday at 11:45 p.m. and Saturday at 12:05 p.m, along with heavy rain and sustained winds of 20-40 miles per hour (MPH) with gusts up to 65 MPH.

"I encourage all residents to be mindful of the storm and encourage employers to take the weather into consideration, which will mostly impact the coastal areas of our city," said Mayor Walsh. "As we saw with the coastal flooding in the Seaport in January, there is a need to proactively plan for our changing climate, which is why we're integrating climate resilience into all aspects of city planning moving forward, beginning with a Climate Ready project in South Boston."

Below are the various watches that are in place for Friday through Saturday:

• Coastal Flood Watch in effect from Friday 9 a.m. until Saturday 2 p.m.;
• Areal Flood Watch in effect Friday 7 a.m. until Saturday 7 a.m.;
• High Wind Warning in effect from Friday 10 a.m. until Saturday 10 a.m.

The City will continue to monitor the storm throughout its duration. In preparation for the storm, Boston is taking the following proactive steps:

• Boston Water & Sewer Commission (BWSC) is cleaning out low-lying areas of debris that could clog catch basins and restrict the flow of water through underground systems.
• Boston Police Department (BPD) is prepared to institute barriers in areas that will be most affected by flooding, and redirect traffic as needed.
• Public Works Department (PWD) will have loaders available to remove debris.
• Several city departments, including BWSC, BPD, EMS and 311 will have extra support available to assist.

The City encourages residents to be aware of the upcoming weather, and understand their risk of flooding by looking at the latest FEMA flood maps:  https://msc.fema.gov/portal. In addition, the city encourages residents to consider the following safety tips:

• All users of City of Boston roadways should proceed cautiously and watch for detours that will be implemented as necessary.
• To ensure safety, it is important that drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians avoid traveling on flooded streets.
• People should allow for extra travel time.
• Heavy rain may cause poor visibility.