image of barnstable county courthouse

BCREPC Monitors Tropical Storm Isaias

 Isaias – Media Release 004

 

Barnstable, MA. (August 3, 2020) — At a 10:00 a.m. conference call on Monday, the Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee (BCREPC) convened remotely to discuss updates to the forecast for Tropical Storm Isaias.

Individuals present on the call included over 75 representatives from agencies across Cape Cod’s 15 towns and Nantucket, including police, fire, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Eversource, the Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC), and several volunteer organizations, including the Red Cross.

UPDATE:  BCREPC continues to monitor Tropical Storm Isaias as it moves north towards the east coast.  This storm has the potential to upgrade to a category 1 hurricane. Its current track is still projected to travel inland to western and central, Massachusetts, but the probability of the Cape Cod region experiencing strong tropical-storm-force winds has increased.

  • Winds will start early afternoon on Tuesday and build gradually into the late evening and throughout the night;
  • 40-45 mph winds expected with isolated gusts up to 65 mph by midnight;
  • Expect up to .5-inch rainfall on Cape Cod, possible thunderstorm;
  • Storm to make its way out of Cape Cod region by early morning on Wednesday;
  • Scattered power outages and communication outages are likely;
  • It is possible that the current storm track could change. To be safe, citizens should prepare for the potential of significant wind impacts. Efforts should be underway to secure all properties.
  • Citizens who are camping in tents should consider seeking other accommodations Tuesday evening;
  • Businesses and organizations using tents for outside seating and services should make sure all structures are secure.

BCREPC wants residents and visitors to know that Tropical Storm Isaias is being monitored, and shelters will be ready to activate if necessary. The Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) so far provided sandbags to Provincetown and remains on standby for all resource requests from other towns.  Utility companies have mobilized additional crews and are monitoring the forecast. The next remote conference call will be held on Tuesday, August 4, at 10:00 a.m. to assess the latest forecasts. Visit www.bcrepc.org for updates.

Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee (BCREPC)

The BCREPC was founded in September 2002 to assist the communities on Cape Cod and the Town of Nantucket with addressing hazardous materials emergency planning and response as required by the federal government. Today, the BCREPC has expanded its scope to include “All Hazard” emergency planning issues such as storm response, sheltering and grants management. The BCREPC is a coalition of emergency management, law enforcement, fire service, health care, public health, public works, EMS, military, and numerous other affiliated agencies as outlined by the Massachusetts State Emergency Response Committee (SERC). It represents the towns of Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Mashpee, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet, and Yarmouth in Barnstable County, and the town of Nantucket in Nantucket County. The REPC is coordinated by the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment. Visit www.bcrepc.org

For media inquiries:
Contact: Sonja Sheasley, PIO
Sonja.Sheasley@capecod.gov