BCREPC monitors winter storm — no shelter activation at this time
BARNSTABLE (MA) February 8, 2016 – At its 10 a.m. conference call Monday the Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee (BCREPC) reviewed the winter storm currently hitting Cape Cod. The BCREPC will continue to monitor the progress of the storm. The Regional Shelter System will not be activated at this time but all Regional Shelter System partners are on standby should conditions warrant shelter activation.
The Barnstable County Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) was opened Monday at 10 a.m. Operated by the Barnstable County Incident Management Team (BCIMT, the MACC serves as a central contact point for resource requests from Barnstable County towns and agencies. In addition to BCIMT members, representatives from electric utility Eversource and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) are in place.
As for weather conditions, snow bands from the outer snow shield of the ocean storm continue to move in. Wet snow over the Cape and Islands will continue this morning becoming heavier later today. Snow will push into the other parts of Eastern Massachusetts in the next few hours. A Blizzard warning remains in effect for SE coastal Massachusetts (Plymouth County) and the Cape and Islands. Winds in the Blizzard warning area could gust up to 65 mph at times creating white-out conditions.
Strong NE winds will set the stage for potential coastal flooding at today’s mid-day tide for the Massachusetts east coast from Plymouth southward to the Cape and Islands. Pockets of moderate coastal flooding could occur, especially in the more vulnerable areas. Snow should taper off this evening, but some ocean effect banding could linger over the Cape and Islands into tonight.
The BCREPC advises the citizens of Barnstable County to remain indoors and avoid travel to enable road crews to treat and clear roadways.
For information about preparedness and the Regional Shelter System visit the Barnstable County REPC website at www.bcrepc.org
Follow the BCREPC on Twitter @bcrepc.
Additional information on preparedness is available from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) at www.mass.gov/mema or the FEMA website at www.ready.gov or call 2-1-1. For specific local information, citizens should contact the emergency management office in their town.
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