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More than 17k homes, businesses in R.I. still without power from storm Henri

By Globe staffUpdated August 23, 2021, 9:37 p.m.
A National Grid crew and tree removal crew work to restore power on Caswell, St. in Narragansett, R.I., after a tree fell on the power lines due to winds from Tropical Storm Henri, Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. Strong winds from Tropical Storm Henri topples trees and power lines in the southern region of the state.Stew Milne/Associated Press

Tropical Storm Henri made landfall near Rhode Island Sunday afternoon. We’re gathering the latest news here to keep readers informed. Check back for regular updates on the newest forecasts, maps, and more coverage of the severe weather headed our way.

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Here’s the latest:

More than 17k homes, businesses in R.I. still without power — 8:39 p.m.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

More than 17,400 National Grid customers in Rhode Island are still without power from storm Henri as of 8:40 p.m. Monday.

South Kingstown has 3,443 customers affected by the outages, which is the highest by municipality in the state, followed by Hopkinton at 3,376 and Charlestown at 3,159.

At 3 p.m. Monday, there were about 32,000 customers of the utility company that still did not have power.

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Flash flooding threats continue, Henri becomes post-tropical cyclone — 6:13 p.m.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

Threats of flash floods continue across southern New England, including coastal Rhode Island, as remnants of Henri move eastward.

Henri, which was downgraded to a tropical depression Sunday night, will move back across Connecticut, centering about 50 miles southwest of Hartford, Connecticut moving at 9 mph.

Some R.I. beaches, campgrounds will not open Tuesday due to power outages, tree damage from Henri — 4:31 p.m.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

While tropical storm Henri did not have the severe impact on Rhode Island that most residents feared, downed trees and limbs, power outages, and high surf may keep some state parks and beaches closed further into the week.

All state beaches were closed Monday as crews cleaned up debris and raked out sand. Since East Matunuck State Beach in South Kingstown and the Charlestown Breachway are without power, it’s unlikely they will reopen Tuesday morning. Their reopening will be dependent on when power is restored, according to state environmental management department acting director Terry Gray.

DEM does plan to reopen Scarborough North, Roger Wheeler, and Salty Brine state beaches in Narragansett, East Beach in Charlestown, and Misquamicut in Westerly Tuesday as temperatures are expected to reach the 90s this week.

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Beavertail in Jamestown was the only state park to remain closed Monday due to high surf. All other parks are open, but are in the process of being assessed and cleaned.

All campgrounds are currently closed. The state expects to reopen George Washington Campground, Fishermen’s Memorial Campground in Narragansett, and Charlestown Breachway (depending on power restoration) on Wednesday.

But due to extensive tree damage, Gray said the state does not expect to reopen Burlingame State Campground before Thursday. East Beach Campground in Charlestown will remain closed until “at least Thursday” to allow for restoration work on the sand trail.

Navigational buoy off coast of Block Island breaks free during storm Henri, washes ashore R.I. mainland miles away — 4 p.m.

By Brian Amaral, Globe Staff

A Coast Guard navigational buoy broke free from near Block Island and ended up on the beach in mainland South Kingstown, Rhode Island. David Sherman, a nearby resident, was able to get a photo of the hulking buoy when he went to check on his home Monday. David Sherman

Freelance photographer David H. Sherman was at the beach near his home in South Kingstown Monday with his camera when he saw it: a hulking green buoy sticking not out of the ocean, where it belongs, but out of the sand.

Green in color and listing on its side, the buoy served as a reminder of how powerful Tropical Storm Henri was.

“It’s unusual to see something like that on the beach,” Sherman said in an interview.

He also saw someone swimming nearby, and waited for the perfect moment to capture the shot. The man was about waist-deep, with his hands on his face, providing a scale for how big this buoy was. Click: Sherman, who has done some news, wedding, portrait and business photography, calls it the hook, and he got it.

Rhode Island escaped the brunt of the storm, but it was lucky in some respects: The surge did not coincide with high tide. Henri, though, was apparently strong enough to cause the buoy to break free from its chain and float near Block Island to the mainland.

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Sherman has been staying at a motel in Warwick since Saturday night, which is about the 10th time he’s evacuated in his 28 years living there. He was checking on his home when he got the photo. They’ve certainly had stronger storms than Henri. This was no Superstorm Sandy. But it still knocked out power to more than 100,000 people over the course of the day Sunday, including Sherman.

Sherman said the buoy was by a stretch known as Roy Carpenter’s Beach, a bit west from the town beach.

Chief Petty Officer Robert Simpson, spokesman for the Coast Guard, said the buoy is normally floating in the water about two nautical miles north of Block Island, directing ships coming from the west to turn south.

Based on the description of its original location from the Coast Guard, it appears the buoy probably traveled a few nautical miles before landing in South Kingstown.

They’ve put out a notice to mariners informing them of the wayward buoy, and they have other ways to navigate besides 1 BI, as the buoy is called. Assuming its chain broke in the storm, that chain is probably just sitting down at the bottom of the sea right now, so it’s not a hazard to mariners either, Simpson said.

It is not unheard of for buoys to break free. It is a challenge to figure out what to do with it next. But Simpson’s reaction when he saw the photo was unmistakable: “Oh, yeah,” he said. “That’s totally one of our buoys.”

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Nearly 32k homes, businesses in R.I. are still without power mid-afternoon Monday — 3:03 p.m.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

As of 3 p.m. on Monday, more than 31,800 National Grid customers are still without power in Rhode Island due to tropical storm Henri.

The most-impacted towns and cities include South Kingstown, where 8,382 customers do not have power; Charlestown, where 4,229 customers do not have power; and Hopkinton, where 3,433 customers do not have power.

Earlier Monday, Theresa Murphy, interim town manager for South Kingstown, urged National Grid Monday to act quickly to get the town “back to normal” for the final weeks of summer.

“We are urging National Grid to do what they can to get us back online with power and get back to normal here,” said Murphy.

Terence Sobolewski, interim president of National Grid New England, also said Monday that he expects the majority of restoration to be complete by the end of the day Tuesday, but that there could be individual outages stretched into Wednesday.

More than 70,000 National Grid customers lost power in Rhode Island compared to 6,700 customers in Massachusetts.

Tornado touched down in Marlborough, Mass. — 2:40 p.m.

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

A small, brief tornado raced through the city of Marlborough on Monday, the National Weather Service said.

The tornado “touched down just west of I-495 near the Marlborough water treatment center, went over a business park and traveled northwest a short distance before dissipating just north of Cedar Hill street,” forecasters said. The estimated maximum wind speed was 65 miles per hour.

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The confirmation came after forecasters issued a number of warnings late Monday morning about possible tornados as storms rolled north through the MetroWest area and Central Massachusetts toward the New Hampshire border after tropical storm, now tropical depression Henri.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

Town administrator Jamie Hainsworth said Monday afternoon, “Jamestown is recovering very fast.”

In Jamestown, where nearly all National Grid customers lost power at some point on Sunday during the storm, only has about 70 customers left without power as of 1:30 p.m.

According to Governor Dan McKee, the area is “lucky” that tropical storm Henri, which was supposed to be a category 1 hurricane, came when it did during low tide.

“We could have gone to a hurricane 2. It could have come during high-tide. And then it would have been another [hurricane] Sandy,” said McKee from Jamestown Town Hall. “At this point in time, people are safe.”

McKee said he wants to investigate why Rhode Island “consistently” loses more power than Massachusetts by at least 20 percent.

“This isn’t the first time,” said McKee. “I think it’s [because of] infrastructure.”

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

Damage is still being caused after Henri made landfall on Sunday, including heavy rains, wind, and downed trees along the coast.

No fatalities, injuries related to Henri in R.I. — 12:59 p.m.

By Carlos Muñoz, Globe Staff

March Pappas, the director of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, told the Globe on Monday that there had been no injuries or deaths related to Henri. He was traveling Monday with Sen. Jack Reed, Governor Daniel McKee and other state officials, along with National Grid, to survey damage.

Narragansett library becomes cooling, charging center as power outages continue — 12:27 p.m.

By Brian Amaral, Globe Staff

The Maury Loontjens Memorial Library in Narragansett located at 35 Kingstown Rd. is available as a Cooling and Charging Center due to continued power outages throughout the town. More than 2,000 National Grid customers in Narragansett still do not have power as of noon.

The cooling and charging enter at the library plans to remain open until 7 p.m. Monday night, but hours may be extended if there is a “community need,” according to the Narragansett Police Department.

Tornado warning issued in MetroWest area of Boston — 12:20 p.m.

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

A tornado warning has been issued for Boston’s western suburbs.

The National Weather Service says people in Marlborough, Hudson, Westborough, Northborough, Clinton, Southborough, Lancaster, Sterling, Stow, Harvard, Boxborough, Bolton, Boylston and Berlin should take cover.

Severe thunderstorms and possibly a tornado were expected Monday as the remnants of Tropical Storm Henri pass through the region.

By Brian Amaral, Globe Staff

A fallen tree on Matthewson Street in Narragansett created from the Tropical Storm Henri. Matthew J. Lee/Globe staff

A day after Tropical Storm Henri made landfall in Rhode Island, downed trees remain a problem, especially in some heavily wooded inland towns.

Authorities in neighboring Hopkinton and Richmond said they were hard-hit by outages and downed wires.

Richmond police got 60 calls for downed trees and wires between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, according to Police Chief Elwood Johnson. The 40-square-mile town has large oak trees that are covered in foliage or damage from gypsy moths, which made them vulnerable to Henri’s high winds. The storm’s center made landfall in Westerly, to the south-west of Richmond and Hopkinton.

Some of those trees hit roofs or outbuildings and cars, but “most homes appear to be intact with relatively minor damage.”

One person was taken to the hospital to be checked out after being overcome with carbon monoxide from a generator ventilation issue, but no other health issues or injuries were reported, Johnson said. Richmond is working on National Grid to finish their assessment, Johnson said in an email Monday morning.

In Hopkinton, 20 trees hit wires, and there were 14 roads that were impassable, Police Chief David Palmer said in an email at about 9 a.m. Monday. The police department itself is on a generator, Palmer said.

According to National Grid, 2,438 out of 3,603 homes and businesses were without power in Richmond just before noon. In Hopkinton, 3,419 out of 4,008 were without power. In Exeter, just to the north, 2,833 out of 3,069 National Grid customers were without power.

Red Cross will keep 2 shelters open in R.I. — 11:50 a.m.

By Alexa Gagosz and Brian Amaral, Globe Staff

The American Red Cross has closed three temporary shelters after tropical storm Henri in Rhode Island as of Monday afternoon. Only two shelters will stay open, which are located in Wakefield and Middletown.

“We did not have any clients stay in our shelters last night in Rhode Island, though we did arrange hotels for three clients,” said Kelly Isenor, director of communications for the Red Cross.

The New Haven, Connecticut shelter closed at 7 a.m. Monday, according to Isenor. One shelter in Massachusetts, located in Pittsfield, has been placed on stand-by as needed due to potential flooding and tornado warnings.

South Kingstown town manager urges National Grid to act quickly for small businesses, residents — 11:35 a.m.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

Theresa Murphy, interim town manager for South Kingstown, urged National Grid Monday to act quickly to get the town “back to normal” for the final weeks of summer. South Kingstown, which is located in Washington County, was hit particularly hard when tropical storm Henri landed in Rhode Island Sunday.

“South Kingstown remains in an emergency management stage,” said Murphy. “We are anxious to get our residents and our small businesses back up and running.”

Murphy said the town has three weeks left to the summer, which is a pivotal time for the area’s tourism industry.

“This has added insult to injury over the last year due to COVID. This tropical storm has added to that,” she said. “We are urging National Grid to do what they can to get us back online with power and get back to normal here.”

Nearly 85 percent of the town was without power as of Sunday night. As of Monday afternoon, about 65 percent of the utility company’s customers are without power.

Terence Sobolewski, interim president of National Grid New England, said Monday that he expects the majority of restoration to be complete by the end of the day Tuesday, but that there could be individual outages stretched into Wednesday.

“The National Grid is really responding very quickly to my request to accelerate getting people back with their power,” said Governor Dan McKee Monday in South Kingstown. “We know it’s both a health issue and it’s an economic issue.”

Senator Jack Reed, who was also standing alongside the governor Monday, commended McKee on his response efforts to the storm.

“This should be a wake-up call to us to modernizing our electric grid... Not just for the next couple of years, but for the next few decades,” said Reed.

Biden approves emergency declaration in Vermont — 10:35 a.m.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

FEMA announced Monday morning that President Biden approved federal emergency aid to Vermont to supplement state and local response efforts to the emergency conditions in the area affected by storm Henri, beginning Aug. 22.

Last gate of Fox Point Hurricane Barrier opens — 10:22 a.m.

By Brian Amaral, Globe Staff

The US Army Corps of Engineers and public works department opened the final gate to the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier on Bridge Street in Providence Monday morning. The three concrete gates in the Providence River opened Sunday night when the threat of storm surge flooding was gone, but the street-side gate remained closed.

R.I., Mass. clean up after Henri — 9:53 a.m.

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

The cleanup is underway in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Henri, which caused power outages, damaged homes, and pounded the coast but did not cause any known fatalities.

Rhode Island bore the brunt of Henri on Sunday. Proof of the storm’s power could be found in National Grid’s outage map where some 43,000 customers were powerless as of 9:02 a.m. Monday.

The power situation was much better in the Bay State where the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s outage map showed 860 customers were waiting for utilities to turn the lights back on around 9:02 a.m. Monday.

“We are not quite done with Henri, as the now tropical depression will produce an additional 1-3″ of rain as it pivots across SNE today,’’ forecasters wrote on Twitter.

By Dave Epstein, Globe Correspondent

Flood watches are posted for much of Southern New England today.NOAA Data

There’s been flooding to our west and the ground is certainly saturated. Some of these additional downpours could create street flooding, but also some small streams from river flooding.

Depending on how much rain we received during the day and the first part of tonight, the most likely places for flooding will be west of Route 128. Flood watches are posted for a large area of New England into New York.

As the system continues to move east, showers and thunderstorms will begin to build this afternoon and continue through the first two-thirds of the overnight. Some of these storms could actually become severe and it’s not out of the question that we see a small, weak tornado as a result of land and storm interaction. Temperatures during the afternoon will reach near 80 degrees.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

Tropical Depression Henri is about to make its final pass across the region today, which will bring its last push of heavy rain.

The storm has weakened significantly as winds will reach only around 30 miles per hour, tracking northeast through northern Massachusetts, and periods of heavy rain is expected from 6 p.m. through midnight.

Tropical moisture is expected locally as the storm pushes east to the coastline. By 3 p.m., temps should reach around 80 degrees as rain returns after some early bouts of sunshine earlier in the day.

Some ferry service resumes in Rhode Island — 7:48 a.m.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

The Block Island Ferry is expected to resume service Monday morning. The ferry, which had canceled service through Sunday because of tropical storm Henri, will resume service beginning at 10:30 a.m. from Point Judith and 10 a.m, from Block Island.

The 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. ferries from Point Judith and the 8:15 a.m. ferry from Block Island are still canceled, as are this morning’s high-speed trips through 10:05 a.m. All later high-speed trips remain questionable.

The Newport high-speed ferry is also canceled for the day.

The Seastreak ferry, which services Providence, Newport, and Bristol, R.I., will not be in service Monday. The ferry asks passengers with tickets for the day to contact the company to switch reservations to a later date.

Many throughout Rhode Island remain without power — 6:54 a.m.

By John Ellement, Globe Staff

Communities across Rhode Island sustained damage to the electrical power grid and by Monday morning some 43,000 customers remained without power, according to the National Grid’s outage map posting at 6:42 a.m.

The National Grid is the primary power supplier in the state.

Brief tornado could occur as a result of Henri — 6:13 a.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

The National Weather Service said in a tweet Monday morning that remnants of Tropical Depression Henri will move back across southern New England during the day.

Renewed flooding as a result of scattered showers and thunderstorms “that will be accompanied by torrential downpours” are possible, according to the weather service.

“Also, an isolated brief tornado can’t be ruled out,” the weather service said.

Flood watches issued with Henri expected to turn back east — 5:21 a.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

The slow-moving Henri is expected to continue to produce heavy rainfall and flooding across “southern New England and the northern Mid-Atlantic states” through the day, the National Hurricane Center said in an update early Monday.

Flood watches are in effect across portions of New England, eastern Pennsylvania, southeast New York, New Jersey, and Long Island. In Massachusetts, the areas with a flood watch in effect include parts of Franklin, Hampden, Worcester, and Hampshire, according to the National Weather Service. In Rhode Island, the areas with a flood watch in effect include Block Island, Bristol, Newport, Washington, and parts of Kent and Providence.

Tropical Depression Henri is expected to “begin an eastward motion by later this morning into the afternoon hours,” the center said.

Maximum sustained wind gusts are near 30 miles per hour with higher gusts. Henri is also expected to produce additional rainfall of 1 to 3 inches, according to the center.

“Heavy rainfall from Henri will continue to result in limited to considerable flash, urban, and small stream flooding impacts, along with minor to isolated moderate river flooding,” the center said.

Swells are expected to continue across much of the coast as well, and could cause “life-threatening and rip current conditions,” the center said.

Heavy rainfall will continue to lead to flooding impacts in parts of southern New England — 11:04 p.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

Heavy rainfall stemming from Tropical Depression Henri will continue to lead to flooding impacts across portions of “southern New England and the northern Mid-Atlantic,” the National Hurricane Center said in an update late Sunday.

The heavy rainfall from the storm may result in “considerable flash, urban, and small stream flooding,” the center said.

There is also a potential for “minor to isolated moderate river flooding” over portions of New England, Long Island, New Jersey, New York, and northeast Pennsylvania, according to the center.

The National Hurricane Center said it would be posting its next update on Henri at 5 a.m. Monday.

Registry of Motor Vehicles warns of potential closings, cancellations on Monday — 10:31 p.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles said late Sunday that due to “possible severe weather tomorrow,” it may need to cancel in-person hearings, road tests, or close some customer service centers Monday.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation encouraged people to check for updates at mass.gov/RMV for additional info in a tweet.

More than 60,000 National Grid customers in R.I., more than 4,000 in Mass. without power Sunday night — 9:03 p.m.

By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff

More than 60,000 National Grid customers in Rhode Island and more than 4,000 customers in Massachusetts were without power on Sunday night as Henri weakened to a tropical depression over Connecticut.

The National Grid’s website showed 62,920 customers in Rhode Island were without power, and according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, 4,178 customers in the state did not have power at about 9 p.m.

A map of outages in Massachusetts showed Hardwick, a town in Worcester County, had the highest percentage of customers without power with 28 percent.

Henri weakens to a tropical depression, according to the National Hurricane Center — 8:01 p.m.

By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff

Henri, losing steam as it moves over Southern New England, was downgraded to a tropical depression on Sunday night, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm was still expected to produce heavy rainfall and flooding across parts of Southern New England into Monday, the center said.

As of 8 p.m. it was moving west-northwest at 7 miles per hour, according to the center.

Henri’s center was about 10 miles southwest of Hartford, Conn., at about 8 p.m., and it was expected to meander west on Sunday night, said Andrew Loconto, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Boston.

“For the most part, conditions are winding down regarding Henri’s impact for the area,” Loconto said. “Tomorrow it will make an exit toward the northeast, and there will be a new round of potential flash flooding in Western Massachusetts into Connecticut, potentially some isolated storms, but by and large, the impacts are de-escalating and winding down.”

In an update earlier Sunday, the National Weather Service said Henri’s remnants will move back across southern New England on Monday, possibly causing flooding from scattered showers and storms that will be accompanied by torrential downpours.

“Also, an isolated brief tornado can’t be ruled out Monday,” the weather service said.

NWS records what could be wettest hour ever in Central Park — 7:39 p.m.

By The Associated Press

The National Weather Service recorded what could be the wettest hour ever in Central Park, with 1.94 inches (4.93 centimeters) of torrential rainfall pelting the park between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Saturday.

In fact, the weekend was the wettest two-day period since Tropical Storm Irene swept through a decade ago, said Dominic Ramunni, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Upton, New York.

“I call it the wettest hour in New York City, New York, for the record books,” Ramunni said. “We’re going to see additional rainfall through tonight as well so who knows what records may be broken here over the next 24 to 36 hours.”

Saturday’s downpour canceled a star-studded Homecoming concert in Central Park, when 4.5 inches (11.4 centimeters) of rain fell. The rainfall broke a record for the date that had endured since 1888.

Sunday was also another record breaker, with at least 2.24 inches (5.69 centimeters) having already fallen in the heart of New York city. The previous record for the day was 1.85 inches (4.7 centimeters), set in 1994.

Brief tornado not ruled out for Monday — 6:51 p.m.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

The remnants of Tropical Storm Henri will move back across southern New England on Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

According to local meteorologists, there could be possible renewed flooding, scattered showers, and storms that will be accompanied by torrential downpours. An isolated, but brief, tornado will not be ruled out for Monday, according to NWS.

The storm, which weakened while passing over central Connecticut later Sunday afternoon, also broke a daily rainfall record in Hartford. As of 5 p.m., the city had 2.82 inches, which breaks the previous record of 1.95 inches set in 1937.

Around Rhode Island, relief that Henri was less severe than feared — 6:46 p.m.

By Brian Amaral, Alexa Gagosz, Carlos R. Muñoz and Lylah Alphonse, Globe Staff

By the time Henri made landfall in Westerly as a tropical storm around 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, Rhode Island residents had braced themselves for the worst. But the worst never came.

In Providence, strong winds whipped through the city but rain remained light throughout the day. A Providence police detail guarded a gate from the hurricane barrier on the street side, and few locals gathered to view the slow tides.

It was worse along the coastline, where Henri raked the historic villages of Point Judith, Galilee, and Narragansett, snapping trees in half and littering branches over the roadway. A few people made their way on foot to local beaches and walked around in the tropical storm-force winds, even though police closed roads and beach parking lots to vehicles.

But as Henri banked into Connecticut and then hooked up into Massachusetts, it became clear that Westerly had been spared. Roads that had been closed just hours earlier were mostly clear by mid-afternoon.

By Lauren Booker, Globe Staff

Tropical Storm Henri’s downpours broke Hartford, Connecticut’s daily rainfall record on Sunday evening.

By 5 p.m., rainfall in Hartford rose to 2.82 inches, breaking the record of 1.95 inches from 1937, according to the National Weather Service.

Power planned to be restored to R.I., Mass. customers experiencing outages by mid-week — 6:11 p.m.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

National Grid customers who experienced power outages during Tropical Storm Henri are expected to have their power restored by mid-week. The company issued a statement Sunday night that said it had nearly 4,000 field personnel in Rhode Island and Massachusetts responding to power outages caused by downed limbs, trees and poles.

More than 31,400 customers in Rhode Island and 20,700 in Massachusetts had their power restored since the storm’s impact this morning. As of 5 p.m., approximately 72,600 customers in Rhode Island and 8,500 in Massachusetts were without power.

The hardest-hit communities in Rhode Island include South Kingstown, Westerly, Narragansett, Jamestown, Charlestown, and North Kingstown.

“At National Grid, we recognize that losing your power at any time is frustrating. We want to assure our customers that we are working expeditiously to restore their service as quickly and safely as possible,” said Michael McCallan, vice president of New England Electric operations for National Grid, in a statement. “Thousands of line and forestry workers are deployed across Rhode Island and Massachusetts, working to repair and restore the power systems in affected communities. We will not stop until every customer has their electricity back.”

McCallan said more accurate restoration times will be announced after damages are fully assessed.

By Maria Elena Little Endara, Globe Correspondent

On Sunday, President Biden reassured Americans that the administration is prepared for the aftermath of Tropical Storm Henri, which is currently weakening as it makes its way northwest across central Connecticut.

”We are taking it seriously though, because the size and the storm surge and the rainfall it’s producing,” Biden said about the storm. “While New Englanders are used to dealing with some tough weather, this storm has the potential for widespread consequences across the region with significant flooding and power outages that could affect hundreds of thousands of people.”

Biden urged states to take advantage of the assistance FEMA can offer.

“We’re doing everything we can now to help those states prepare, respond, and recover,” said Biden.

Biden also thanked FEMA as well as voluntary crews who are helping clean up fallen trees, restoring electricity to areas with power outages, as well as delivering food and water.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

Tropical Storm Henri has weakened with maximum sustained winds at just 40 mph as it continues to move Northwest across central Connecticut, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Heavy rainfall and flooding are expected to be the main issue Sunday evening across portions of Southern New England, New Jersey, and New York.

Approximately 11,000 customers face power outages in Massachusetts — 4:58 p.m.

By Maria Elena Little Endara, Globe Correspondent

As of 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon, approximately 11,000 customers are facing power outages according to a tweet by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

Rhode Island Governor McKee says the state is already moving into the recovery after Henri — 4:51 p.m.

By The Associated Press

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee says the state is already moving into the recovery and assessment phase after Tropical Storm Henri, with the top priority being restoring power to tens of thousands of residents and businesses.

The Democratic governor says National Grid already has crews out working on restoring electricity, and the goal is to get everyone back online by Tuesday.

“We are expecting temperatures in the 90s beginning Tuesday ... and that is why getting power restored is critical for the health and safety of our residents, our economy, and our small businesses,” he said at state emergency management headquarters in Cranston.

Terence Sobolewski, the president of National Grid Rhode Island, said it is expected to take a couple of days to get power fully restored.

The state has also started the process of assessing damage to get maximum reimbursement from the federal government, McKee said. He said on his tour of the state during the height of the storm, he did not see any major damage.

Fox Point Hurricane Barrier in Providence reopens — 4:25 p.m.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reopened the three gates to the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier in Providence after they determined the threat of storm surge flooding was gone.

Kayakers were seen paddling their way through.

Henri causes traffic delays in Connecticut — 4:05 p.m.

By The Associated Press

Storm-related flooding from Henri has caused major delays in the Hartford suburb of Wethersfield along Interstate 91 northbound, a major artery through Connecticut’s capital city.

Brian Foley, special assistant to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, tweeted that traffic was reduced to one lane and there were multiple accidents.

Traffic cameras showed numerous vehicles backed up. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont on Twitter urged motorists to “avoid the area while crews work to address the situation.”

New Jersey reports heavy rains and street flooding — 3:38 p.m.

By The Associated Press

Towns throughout New Jersey reported heavy rains and street flooding beginning Saturday night. Some places got as much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) by midday Sunday.

Television video footage showed some spots where flash flooding or overflowing brooks had left numerous cars stranded, some with water up to their windows.

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy told News 12NJ that the storm in the state had so far been a rain event but “a big rain event.” He said the state had been spared very windy conditions although the winds may pick up later. “It’s a good day to stay home,” he said, urging people to stay off the roads.

Marshall Shepherd, director of the atmospheric sciences program at the University of Georgia and former president of the American Meteorological Society, said Henri was reminiscent in some ways of Hurricane Harvey, a slow-moving storm that decimated the Houston area in 2017, exacerbated when bands of rain set up east of the city, a phenomenon meteorologists call “training.”

On Henri’s outer edge, Worcester is dreary and quiet — 3:02 p.m.

By Andrew Brinker, Globe Correspondent

At the outer edge of Tropical Storm Henri, Worcester had seen little of the high winds and torrential downpours that whipped through parts of Rhode Island and Cape Cod Sunday afternoon.

There are 1,586 customers without power in Webster Square, which is a neighborhood on the west-most side of Worcester.

Heavy rains passed through Worcester early in the morning, but gave way to a drizzle and gusts of swirling wind that persisted into the afternoon.

A few small tree branches fell into the streets, which have so far been clear of flooding.

“It sounded like this was going to be a crazy storm, but so far so good,” said Karen Humphrey as she was leaving the CVS on Chandler Street at the end of her shift. “As long as I can make it down the street and home, I’m good.”

Residents had been bracing for the worst, employees at the CVS said, “panic buying” supplies like batteries and water on Saturday night.

Several gas stations across the city, including the Honey Farms on Chandler Street, sat empty Sunday after they fielded a surge of last-minute supply stops before eventually running out of gas entirely.

Photos and videos: See images of Tropical Storm Henri moving through New England — 2:58 p.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

Jasmin Rojo from North Providence and an employee at the Shore House getting doused by foam and sea water, as a wave crests the wall during Tropical Storm Henri.Matthew J. Lee/Globe staff

Henri moved across southwestern Massachusetts on Sunday afternoon, after earlier making landfall at Westerly, R.I. The storm brought winds, rain, power outages, and storm surges near the coast.

Its anticipated track may take it into southern Vermont. The storm is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression.

See photos and videos as Henri approached and made landfall.

Globe Staff

Massachusetts cities Springfield, Chicopee, and Westfield are under a Flash Flood Warning until 5:45 p.m. on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

By Edward Fitzpatrick, Globe Staff

At 2:10 p.m., the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority announced that it has lifted all restrictions on the Newport Pell, Jamestown Verrazzano, and Mount Hope bridges.

By Brian Amaral, Globe Staff

According to the National Weather Service, the center of the storm passed over Block Island at about 11 a.m.

By 2 p.m., clouds and a moderate wind had returned, but “the island did pretty well,” Chief Matthew Moynihan of the New Shoreham Police Department said. A few homes lost power, but they had been restored or were being restored early in the afternoon.

A few trees were knocked down, but no significant property damage and no injuries had been reported as of early afternoon, Moynihan said.

By Globe Staff

The amount of customers without power has increased to 84,194, according to National Grid.

At 12:30 p.m., there were more than 76,000 customers without power.

By Alexa Gagosz, Globe Staff

Winds from Henri whipped through Providence, Rhode Island’s downtown area on Sunday afternoon.

Here are views from the Hurricane Barrier and Providence’s Pedestrian Bridge.

Fallen trees spotted around Narragansett, R.I. — 1:54 p.m.

By Carlos R. Muñoz, Globe Staff

Mary and Dorothy Phelan of Narragansett, Rhode Island came to The Coast Guard House late Sunday morning because they thought it might be safer near the town beach than out their house, they told the Globe.

“Well the trees were falling down so close to our house we figured it was safer to be outside than under the trees,” Mary Phelan said. “We live right down the street.”

A fallen tree could be seen on 1A north of Narragansett.

R.I. Turnpike and Bridge Authority reopens three bridges for most vehicles — 1:40 p.m.

By Edward Fitzpatrick, Globe Staff

At 1 p.m., the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority announced that it was reopening the Mount Hope, Newport Pell, and Jamestown Verrazzano bridges for most vehicles.

Automobiles, pickup trucks, flatbed trailers, commercial buses, and heavy-laden tractor/trailers are allowed to cross the bridges, the authority said.

But high-profile vehicles are still prohibited, along with any vehicle authorities conclude cannot not safely cross the bridge. Authorities will help motorists who are denied passage to turn around safely.

By Maysoon Khan, Globe Correspondent

Tropical Storm Henri swept into Rhode Island and southern New England Sunday, bringing with it the threat of storm surge flooding.

A storm surge is an abnormal rise of water moving inland from a shoreline. This rise in water level can cause extreme flooding and damage to coastal areas.

In Massachusetts, Buzzards Bay, the south coast of the Cape and the Islands, and parts of southern Plymouth, experienced a storm surge of 1-2 feet at 9 a.m. Sunday morning, National Weather Service Spokesperson Bill Simpson said.

A storm surge of that size brings minimal damage, Simpson added.

Shortly before 11 a.m., CBS6 meteorologist Steve LaPointe tweeted a video of from Martha’s Vineyard of waves crashing over a rocky wall and onto Beach Road in Oak Bluffs.

In Downtown Boston, some tourists are undeterred by the storm — 1:28 p.m.

By Camille Caldera, Globe Correspondent

As Tropical Storm Henri reached the shores of New England on Sunday, some tourists braved the wet weather to explore Boston.

Around noon, a few dozen visitors milled about in Quincy Market, purchasing food from its vendors, only a few of which were shuttered by the storm.

Outside, the weather oscillated between a drizzle and a downpour, with intermittent gusts of wind. At thick fog settled over the city, obscuring the top halves of most buildings.

Roy Baker, 51 — a visitor from Wilmington, Del., who took the train up the coast on Saturday to avoid cancellations — snapped photos outside of a rain-soaked Faneuil Hall before ducking into Quincy Market.

“I don’t want to sit in my hotel room when I’m in a great city,” he said. “I’m going to try to beat the hurricane and get out and do a little sightseeing.”

For a pair of tourists from Southport, N.C., a hurricane hotspot, the storm wasn’t much of a concern.

“We’re kind of used to the tropical storms,” said Judy Wlostowski, 66.

Some flights delayed, canceled at Logan International Airport — 1:22 p.m.

By Breanne Kovatch, Globe Correspondent

Flights were delayed or canceled arriving to and leaving from Logan International Airport in the hours leading up to and as Tropical Storm Henri made landfall.

The number of flights affected continued to rise Sunday as the storm moved over Rhode Island. As of 1 p.m. Sunday, 226 flights were canceled Sunday and 69 were delayed, according to the airline tracker FlightAware.

A full list of delayed or canceled flights can be viewed at the airport’s flight status page.

The airport tweeted Saturday warning of the possibility of delayed flights as a result of the storm Saturday through Monday.

“Passengers are advised to check with their transportation option in the event of delays and their airline on the status of their flight,” the tweet read.

New Bedford sees steady rain as the storm heads west — 1:19 p.m.

By Gal Tziperman Lotan, Globe Staff

As the day wore on and the brunt of the storm headed west, light but steady rain fell on New Bedford.

City officials, who on Saturday had worried they may have to evacuate residents from flood-prone areas, reported no evacuations and only some downed trees as of 1 p.m.

Janet Barbosa, the city’s director of special projects and programs, said she urged residents to stay indoors until the storm has passed.

Power outages hit parts of Rhode Island — 1:17 p.m.

By Brian Amaral, Globe Staff

Power outages escalated in Rhode Island Sunday afternoon as Tropical Storm Henri approached, then made landfall near Westerly.

As of 12:30 p.m., about 75,000 were without power around the state. Massachusetts had 6,816 outages, and Connecticut had 19,956, according to the National Weather Service.

In Rhode Island, outages were concentrated in coastal areas of the state. In some towns, like Charlestown, almost every customer had their power knocked out.

Of the roughly 70,000 customers in Washington County, almost 53,000 were without power at 12:30 p.m., according to the utility National Grid.

More than 11,000 were without power in Newport County. Kent County had more than 11,000 without power. More than 2,500 were out in Providence County. And about 300 were without power in Bristol County.

Westerly, R.I. issues local disaster declaration, shuts down local roads by the shore — 12:49 p.m.

By Brian Amaral, Globe Staff

Westerly issued a local disaster declaration and has shut down local roads by the shore as Henri made landfall in the area around 12:30 p.m.

The seaside town had issued a voluntary evacuation in parts of the Misquamicut area.

Atlantic Avenue was impassible as of 10:30 in the morning, Police Chief Shawn Lacey said.

“Anybody found in the beach area is being asked to leave immediately,” Lacey said. “We do not want any traffic in the beach.”

National Grid shut off gas service for 76 customers as a precaution in flood-prone areas, though their electric will stay on.

Tropical Storm Henri makes landfall in Rhode Island — 12:35 p.m.

By The Associated Press

Tropical Storm Henri made landfall near Westerly, Rhode Island early Sunday, packing heavy winds and drenching rains as it began lashing the northeastern U.S. coastline.

The National Hurricane Center says Henri came ashore in the coastal town of Westerly around 12:30 p.m. It had earlier passed over Block Island, a small but popular tourist island 13 miles (21 kilometers) offshore in Block Island Sound.

Henri was packing maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour), and it was producing 19-foot (5.8-meter) waves in some places just before making landfall.

More than 76,000 Rhode Island customers affected by power outages — 12:17 p.m.

By Maria Elena Little Endara, Globe Correspondent

According to the National Grid, more than 76,000 customers in Rhode Island have been affected by power outages as of Sunday 12:07 p.m.

There are a total of 286 active outages across the state as Tropical Storm Henri is soon to make landfall.

Cape Cod sees high waves; beach-goers are told to stay out of the water — 11:52 a.m.

By Alexandra Chaidez, Globe Correspondent

Officials are monitoring the storm situation on the Cape but they say the area is in the clear right now.

In Nauset Beach in Orleans, people walked along the beach mid-morning as especially high waves crashed onto the shores. A full team of lifeguards—roughly 20—are deployed to make sure no one goes in the water, Anthony Pike, the Orleans beach safety director, said.

“If the surf gets any worse than this, there is no expectation that the lifeguards can go in and help them, so we’re having everyone stay away from the surf,” he said. “If you get washed into a violent surf like this, there is very little help we can give you.”

Pike said that there aren’t any plans to close the beach yet, but when the tide grows as expected, they will rope the area off to prevent people from being pulled into the water.

Pike said the waves on the beach were “extremely agitated” from the storm and that they’re going to get bigger. He said the area could see eight to 10-foot waves through midnight.

Nauset Beach had an 11-foot tide Saturday night, Pike said. He noted that officials are monitoring high tide levels on top of the storm surge. Still, Pike said he’s not too worried—as long as people follow their guidance.

“We’re used to this,” Pike said. “We get so many coastal storms. Let’s face it, we live out in the middle of the ocean. This is business as usual. We just want everyone to take a look at the ocean, and enjoy its beauty today but don’t go in the surf.”

Among the beachgoers in Orleans were Steve and Jane Davis, who traveled to Massachusetts from their home in Arizona. They said that when they first heard about the storm they were “peeved” and nervous about it hitting their vacation. Now, they’re just enjoying it.

The couple said they have books, ice cream, and Sunday’s copy of the New York Times to help them get through the day.

“If it still continues not to rain, I might want to come back,” Jane Davis said.

There isn’t much concern as of around 11 a.m. Sunday in other parts of the Cape.

Robert Brown, the chief of the Dennis Fire Department and the leader of the Barnstable County All-Hazards Incident Management Team, said that the Cape has been quiet Sunday morning.

“It’s almost a blessing in a lot of ways,” Brown said.

The All-Hazards Incident Management Team, a group of public safety and health officials that are deployed to help towns with logistics during storms and other countywide emergencies, is still ready for whatever might come, Brown said.

While winds remain a concern, Brown said the Cape is used to strong gusts.

“We’re not expecting much, maybe a little wind, but for us down here, 35 or 40 mile an hour winds are pretty normal,” he said.

A staging area is set at the Cape Cod Mall in case of downed power lines.

Rhode Island closes three bridges close due to high winds, Rhode Island Governor McKee has instituted a travel ban — 11:15 a.m.

By Edward Fitzpatrick, Globe Staff

The Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike Authority announced Sunday morning that it was immediately closing the Newport Pell Bridge, the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge, and Mount Hope Bridge because of high winds.

Beginning at 11 a.m., Governor McKee’s travel ban went into effect banning all tractor-trailers and motorcycles on the state’s roadways except for those carrying emergency supplies.

Motorists who are denied passage over the bridges will be helped to turn around safely, the authority said. The bridges will reopen when conditions are deemed safe.

The Turnpike and Bridge Authority may close a bridge when sustained wind speeds exceed 70 mph for 15 minutes or more, or wind gusts persistently exceed 70 mph over a period of 15 minutes.

In Pittsfield, people are preparing for downed trees and power outages — 11:12 a.m.

By Jack Lyons, Globe Staff

There was no line for gas at the Lipton Mart on Elm Street in Pittsfield Sunday morning, even as the cloud cover darkened over the city and winds caused trees to sway lightly.

“Nobody’s panicking, we’re Berkshire-ing,” said Claudia Cass, 61, of Pittsfield.

Still, Cass took steps to prepare for the storm Sunday morning, such as stopping by the gas station and the store.

Paul Duma, also of Pittsfield, said he had similar plans for the morning as he topped off his car’s gas tank.

The 63-year-old said he wasn’t nervous for the storm. “Could live to regret it, though,” he added with a chuckle.

“We have a lot of trees on the side of our property that our dying,” Duma said, “so that could be a problem.”

Cass didn’t anticipate any downed trees near her home, but she did expect to lose power.

“We have tickets to Tanglewood today,” Cass said, referring to the iconic, open-air performing arts venue in nearby Lenox. “I don’t think we’re going.”

Power outages sweep across Rhode Island; Governor McKee urges residents to stay home — 11:07 a.m.

By Breanne Kovatch and Brian Amaral, Globe Staff

With Tropical Storm Henri closing in on Rhode Island and the southern Massachusetts coastline, power outages began to tick up Sunday morning, mostly in the Ocean State.

By 10:45 a.m., more than 12,900 customers had lost power in Washington County and more than 5,000 customers in Newport County, according to National Grid.

Other scattered outages were recorded across Rhode Island as Henri continued to sweep toward New England.

At a press conference Sunday morning, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee urged residents to stay safe and avoid travel whenever possible.

”I’m asking you, Rhode Island, to stay home until the storm passes,” McKee said.

Crews from the Federal Emergency Management Agency were already in Cranston, R.I., Sunday morning.

Biden approves pre-landfall emergency declaration in advance of Tropical Storm Henri for Connecticut and New York — 10:35 a.m.

By Maria Elena Little Endara, Globe Correspondent

US Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said in a tweet Sunday morning that President Biden has approved Connecticut’s request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration in advance of Tropical Storm Henri.

The approval means that the federal government will provide Connecticut with assistance in anticipation of the storm’s impact.

”This is good news and will help our state get quicker reimbursement from the federal government for our disaster costs,” Murphy said.

In a tweet Sunday morning, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo thanked President Biden and FEMA for approving the request as New York expects up to 5 inches of rainfall as Henri moves through the Northeast.

First inklings of Henri arrive in Worcester, city officials weary of flooding — 10:18 a.m.

By Andrew Brinker, Globe Correspondent

Heavy rains blanketed Worcester Sunday morning, and officials are bracing for the possibility of flash flooding after parts of the city were inundated by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred last week.

“The ground here is still saturated from the rain we took on, and that raises our risk of flooding pretty significantly,” said Martin Dyer, deputy chief of Worcester fire.

Rain pooled in the roadways of the neighborhoods surrounding Green Hill Park, and city employees worked to put up flood barriers and lay sandbags in low-lying areas.

Some of those areas, like the underpass of Grafton Street Bridge on Route 20, took on major flooding that swallowed up cars last Thursday as Tropical Storm Fred dumped around 4 inches of rain on the region.

Signs of the prior week’s floods, including orange cones strewn around the Grafton Street underpass, still remained Sunday morning. Trucks from the Department of Public Works and Parks circled the area.

“The biggest concern when it comes to this storm, is as it goes over the city, if it slows too much, there could be areas that take on somewhere around two inches of rain in an hour,” said Charles Goodwin, Worcester’s director of emergency management. “And that’s something that often causes that flash flooding, if we get a significant amount in a short period of time.”

Officials also have their eye on the city’s waterways, like Green Hill Pond and Lake Quinsigamond, which have taken on more rain than usual this summer.

Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport cancels flights ahead of Tropical Storm Henri — 10:12 a.m.

By Brian Amaral, Globe Staff

On Sunday, most flights in and out of Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport were canceled due to Tropical Storm Henri.

Only a handful of flights were scheduled to take off Sunday, but they were rescheduled for later Sunday night after 9. p.m. Only one flight was slated to arrive Sunday morning, according to the Warwick-based airport’s flight tracker.

The airport remains open to accommodate flights, spokesman John Goodman said, and ultimately the carriers make the call to cancel. They’ve been making that call repeatedly Sunday as high winds and rains arrived.

In one sign of how serious the situation is, the state’s two casinos closed as of 4 a.m. Sunday. Twin River Casino Hotel and Tiverton Casino Hotel said they would post updates on Facebook.

The storm has already caused flooding and led to the closing of local roads, including Ocean Road from Beach Street to the end of the sea wall in Narragansett and Brown Street in North Kingstown.

National Grid has reported the first major power outages in the state as of 9 a.m. Sunday. According to the utility company, 3,190 customers were without power in Washington County and 1,821 customers in Newport County. Other outages were scattered around the state. A full, up-to-date listing is available on National Grid’s website.

Tropical storm conditions spread across southern New England — 9:27 a.m.

John Hilliard, Globe Staff

Tropical storm conditions continued to spread across parts of southern New England Sunday morning, as Henri approached and threatened the region with damaging winds, storm surge flooding, and the potential for widespread power outages, officials said.

Henri had been classified as a hurricane for much of Saturday, though it was downgraded to a tropical storm after 6 a.m. Sunday. Overnight, the track of the storm trended further east, putting landfall closer to the Rhode Island coast, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service reported early Sunday morning that a band of heavy rain north of the storm moving along the south coast of Massachusetts that could result in areas of minor street flooding.

Matt Pepin, Globe Staff

Sunday’s scheduled Red Sox-Rangers game at Fenway Park has been postponed to Monday at 1:10 p.m. because of the impact of Tropical Storm Henri, the team said.

Heavy rain and high wind are forecast throughout the region Sunday, and Massachusetts officials have asked residents to only travel if necessary.

The teams split the first two games of the series.

Tickets for Sunday’s game will be good for admission Monday, and the park’s gates will open at 11:40 a.m.

Brian Amaral, Globe Staff

The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier over the Providence River closed Sunday morning after Henri — downgraded to a tropical storm but still very dangerous — approached the state.

Clara Decerbo, the director of the Providence Emergency Management Agency, said the city Department of Public Works closed two of the five gates that go over roadways. That includes South Water Street, which is now closed.

And TV crews on scene showed the gates over the Providence River itself, called tainter gates, were closing at about 7:30 a.m. The Army Corps of Engineers works with the city to open and close the gates.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

Acting Mayor Kim Janey encouraged Boston residents to stay indoors and seek shelter as Tropical Storm Henri approaches. She also outlined a number of measures taken by the city in preparation for the storm.

“Through the height of the storm, please stay home,” Janey said.

Janey said she has employed a number of departments throughout the city to help assist with the storm, which is expected to make landfall on the coast of southern New England sometime during the afternoon. Crews are working to help reduce and monitor street flooding, and people are also on hand to monitor the downing of heavy trees and wires. Janey asked that residents do not go near power lines if they are brought down as a result of the powerful storm, but to call the appropriate authorities.

Crews will also be on hand to assist with roadway access, Janey said. The Office of Civic Engagement has also added staff to call centers in case residents are in need.

Janey said the city has sent out storm notification messages to residents and noted that shelters are opened for those without homes to stay safe throughout Henri. The city’s emergency operations center has also been activated.

“As the city continues to monitor for impacts of the storm, residents are advised to stay home,” she said.

Acting Mayor Kim Janey is delivering an update on Tropical Storm Henri preparations in Boston at 8 a.m. with Shumeane Benford, chief of emergency management.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

The National Hurricane Center downgraded Henri from a hurricane to a tropical storm in its 7 a.m. update Sunday.

Tropical storm conditions “continue to spread across portions of southern New England,” the center tweeted.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

The Steamship Authority said in a tweet early Sunday that all ferry trips were canceled through noon due to Hurricane Henri.

The US Coast Guard shut down the ports to all traffic, preventing some of the early morning trips the Steamship Authority was hoping to have on the schedule.

The Steamship Authority will evaluate whether trips later in the day between Cape Cod and the Islands are possible.

Maps and key takeaways as New England prepares for Hurricane Henri — 6:32 a.m.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

Southern New England is currently bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Henri, which is expected to arrive today and tonight, according to the National Weather Service.

Although the track of the storm continues to shift, forecasters said it has the potential to bring flooding rain, damaging winds, and storm surge flooding. Concerns continue to grow over the latter, in addition to freshwater flooding across the region.

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

Hurricane Henri is continuing to move northward toward the coast of Rhode Island, the National Weather Service tweeted early Sunday morning.

The outer rain bands are currently approaching Cape Cod and the Islands, according to the weather service.

The rain bands are expected to be overspreading the South Coast between the hours of 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday, according to the weather service.

Amtrak cancels service between Boston and New York as Henri nears region — 12:01 a.m.

By Nick Stoico, Globe Correspondent

Amtrak has canceled all service in the Northeast Corridor on Sunday between Boston and New York, including the Northeast Regional and Acela trains, as Hurricane Henri closes in on southern New England, the company said in a statement Saturday.

Train service has also been canceled on the Springfield line between New Haven, Conn., and Springfield, the statement said.

 

Thursday, August 22, 2021

 

By Shannon Larson, Globe Staff

The National Weather Service tweeted late Saturday that the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center has the track of Hurricane Henri shifting east and slowing down. The new development would mean that the wind threat would shift a “bit further east as well,” according to the weather service.

“Overall threats have not changed significantly,” according to the weather service.

The weather service tweeted a few minutes later that Henri had come “into view of the radar on Long Island.”

Across New York City, people received an emergency alert on their phones about a flash flooding warning in the area from the National Weather Service, tweeted Allan Nosoff, a weather producer with Fox Weather.

The alert warned that “this is a dangerous and life-threatening situation” and advised people against traveling.

Some businesses in historic Watch Hill, R.I., board up — 9:58 p.m.

By Carlos R. Muñoz, Globe Staff

In the coastal village of Watch Hill, near Westerly – Rhode Island’s westernmost city – some business owners are tying down loose items and boarding up their doors and windows.

Others, mainly tourists, were at the beach or enjoying dinner, not far from where a plaque memorializes 15 people who lost their lives in the hurricane of 1938.

By Carlos R. Muñoz, Globe Staff

Boats are lined up in Westerly, Rhode Island ahead of the approaching storm.CARLOS R. MUNOZ / GLOBE STAFF

Greg and Heather Fronczek, of the Westerly Yacht Club in Rhode Island, had just returned from an afternoon of boating when they began their hurricane preparations. They affixed 12 lines to their boat in the slip at the yacht club.

“If you get too cocky, problems happen,” Greg Fronczek said. “We are medium nervous.”

“We’re C-A-L-M,” said Heather Fronczek referring to the four-letter word on her shirt.

The Fronczeks added fuel to their boat so it’s heavy. Boaters in the slip next to them were doing the same thing.

Heather Fronczek said they did buy extra food. But the experience was not “panicky.”

“When we were at the store, there weren’t a lot of people at the store panic buying,” she said. “People are just doing what they have to do. It doesn’t seem panicky. It just seems a storm is coming, batten down the hatches and take care of business.”

By Lauren Booker

Crowds at a New York concert were asked to leave due to severe weather, according to a tweet from the New York Police Department.

The “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert” brought attendees to Central Park on Saturday night.

Some of the performers on the lineup included Earth, Wind & Fire; Paul Simon; Bruce Springsteen; and LL Cool J.

‘You can definitely feel it’: Surfers take to the waves in R.I. as Hurricane Henri approaches — 7:04 p.m.

By Brian Amaral, Globe Staff

Surfers took to the waves Saturday afternoon as Hurricane Henri approached the region, taking advantage of stormy swells and still-sunny weather before they hunkered down for its closer approach.

Rachel McCarty went to Conant Avenue in Point Judith with her surfboard on top of her Subaru, whose license plate is “SURFY.”

“The waves just kept getting better, the longer we were out there,” said McCarty, who went out Friday and was back again Saturday afternoon, scoping out the situation. “I was late for dinner. I said, screw it. It’s better to be out here.”

As the hurricane gets even closer, though, the waves will get too aggressive for even more experienced surfers -- for the types of people who have “SURFY” as their license plate. It’s the only time we might get waves on par with places like California and Hawaii. But it’s a very poor time for beginners to try to get out there, especially with rip currents.

By John Hilliard, Globe Staff

When Sara O’Brien and Vanessa Goodrum set sail from St. Petersburg for Cape Cod in April, they hoped to have an adventure at sea — and escape Florida’s heat and its tropical storm system.

But Saturday, with their sailboat battened down in a Boston marina, they were feeling just a bit chagrined that — of all things — a hurricane chased them into New England.

“We are two Florida girls who wanted to get away from Florida,” O’Brien said. “Now we’re in Boston, and a hurricane is coming for us.”

The region was bracing Saturday for the arrival of Henri, which if it reaches Massachusetts as a hurricane, would become the first one to make landfall in the state in 30 years — since Hurricane Bob in 1991.

By Brian Amaral, Globe Staff

Rhode Islanders should finish preparations for Hurricane Henri Saturday, then hunker down as the category 1 storm brings damaging winds, flooding, storm surge, extended power outages, and heavy rain to the region, state officials warned.

The projected track of the storm had lurched to the west of Rhode Island, but even if it doesn’t make a direct hit, Rhode Island would be on the side with the strongest wind, and would see significant damages, emergency planners said.

By Jack Lyons, Globe Correspondent

With the threat of halted ferry service between the Cape and the Islands on Sunday, travelers picked a place to hunker down Saturday before the weather turned.

The Horn family, of Gahanna, Ohio, ended their Nantucket vacation one day early so they could start their drive back to Ohio before Henri reaches New England.

“We decided to err on the cautious side,” Sue Horn said, as she helped her family gather their luggage near the Hy-Line Ferry in Hyannis.

Lauren Booker, Globe Staff

State officials warned of the possibility of flooding, strong winds, and power outages as Hurricane Henri approaches the New England area.

On Saturday, Governor Charlie Baker said during a press conference that there is the potential for power outages throughout the state. He was joined by officials in public safety and transportation.

“I think statewide the power-outage issue is the biggest concern we have,” Baker said.

He also said he thinks the flooding is more of a Buzzards Bay and South Coast issue, but he urged residents throughout the state to use caution.

“I think we should be careful and cautious about this.”

Jack Lyons, Globe Correspondent

Henri is now projected to largely spare Cape Cod, but that wasn’t the case Friday, when a grim forecast caused many boat owners to hurry their craft off the dock.

At Falmouth Marine in Falmouth, Doug Langlois experienced the rush firsthand as he fielded calls from customers.

“There was next to nothing Thursday, and then on Friday, everyone and their brother was calling,” Langlois said during an interview along Falmouth’s Inner Harbor, where he works.

At midday on Saturday, though, it seemed like perfect boating weather, as the warm, August sun beamed through partly cloudy skies.

“I’m sure the people who already hauled their boats out are frustrated, because this turned out to be a beautiful day,” Langlois said.

In fact, Langlois said he’d heard from people who already wanted to cancel moving their boat out of the water.

Laura Crimaldi, Globe Staff

The National Hurricane Center upgraded Henri to a hurricane Saturday morning and a tropical storm warning was issued for Cape Cod and the South Coast as meteorologists warned residents to brace for a dangerous storm surge, pounding rain, and flooding beginning late Saturday or early Sunday.

The tropical storm warning for Cape Cod and the South Coast said those communities could see winds between 39 miles per hour and 70 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. A hurricane warning was put into effect for parts of Connecticut and southern Rhode Island, where meteorologists predict winds of 75 miles per hour with gusts of up to 80 miles per hour and up to 8 inches of rain. The weather service urged residents in southern New England to prepare for power outages.

Globe staff

A hurricane warning is in effect on the Rhode Island coast, most of the Connecticut coast, and areas inland.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for Cape Cod and the Islands, and areas of southern Massachusetss.

Henri, now a hurricane, is approaching the south cost with arrival expected Sunday.

The most severe flooding and high winds are forecast for Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. Other area could also see rain, winds, and outages.

Carlos R. Muñoz, Globe Staff

The US Geological Survey is deploying 62 storm tide sensors to track hurricane effects along the Atlantic coast from Long Island, N.Y., to Cape Cod, Mass; the exact amount will depend on weather and road conditions.

The sensors will provide data on water levels and waves that local, state, and federal officials will use to make decisions. Scientists are using the information to fine-tune the future storm surge and coastal change forecasts. The sensors can help guide recovery efforts, plan evacuation routes, and identify areas affected by flooding.

Storm surge is one of the greatest concerns with Henri, as it bears down on southern New England. Its landfall has yet to be determined, and the storm could lurk in New England for up to two days after landfall causing widespread, life-threatening flash flooding.

Storm tide sensors will be deployed in vented steel pipes a few inches wide and range from about a foot to several feet long. The will be placed on bridges, piers, and other structures that have a good chance of surviving the storm, the USGS said.

The USGS said that 21 scientists from the USGS’s New England Water Science Center are planning to install 35 to 50 sensors along the Connecticut and Rhode Island Coasts into Massachusetts and around Cape Code just south of Boston. They will be retrieved after the storm passes.

Data can be monitored at the USGS Flood Event Viewer for Hurricane Henri, once it’s available, USGS said. The public can also access the USGS’s network of permanent real-time tide gauges through the viewer. In addition to measuring coastal water levels, many of these permanent tide gauges also measure several weather parameters, such as wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation.

Henri strengthens into hurricane with arrival in New England expected Sunday — 11:20 a.m.

Globe Staff

Henri was upgraded to a hurricane Saturday morning, the National Hurricane Center said, and is moving toward the southern New England coast. It is expected to arrive Sunday and is forecast to pound Connecticut and parts of Western Massachusetts with flooding and dangerous winds that could lead to widespread power outages.

By Dave Epstein, Globe correspondent

Henri is expected to bring heavy rain and winds to Connecticut, Western Massachusetts, and Western New York. Rhode Island and Central Massachusetts will also see impacts.

Tropical Storm Henri is forecast to become a minimal hurricane before reaching landfall somewhere in eastern Long Island on Sunday and then crossing into Connecticut. But the track of this storm may wobble farther east or west of the current trajectory.

As of now, most of eastern Massachusetts will miss the heaviest rain. If the storm moves farther east, then the heavier rain could make it into Central Massachusetts and create flooding issues. On Saturday morning, there was some guidance that the storm may come much closer to Block Island. If this scenario does play out, the heavier rain will move into Central Mass. and we would see much stronger wind here as well.

By Maria Elena Little Endara, Globe correspondent, and Brittany Bowker, Globe staff

Forecasters are keeping an eye on the path of Tropical Storm Henri, which is expected to strengthen to a hurricane as it approaches southern New England this weekend.

Here are the latest maps showing the path of the storm.

By Brittany Bowker, Globe staff

Tropical Storm Henri, gathering strength as it takes aim at New England, is expected to make landfall as a hurricane Sunday and pound parts of inland Massachusetts with flooding and dangerous winds that could lead to widespread power outages. But the region’s hurricane watches were canceled early Saturday as the expected path of the storm shifts west, according to the National Weather Service.

Henri is still forecast to make impact Sunday into Monday, but the hurricane watch was canceled in Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties. A tropical storm warning is still in effect for southeastern Massachusetts and Martha’s Vineyard, and a surge storm warning is in effect for Cape Cod and Nantucket. Flood watches were issued for parts of central and all of western Massachusetts.

 

Friday, August 20, 2021

 

By Amanda Kaufman, Globe staff

Tropical Storm Henri is expected to hit New England this weekend, potentially strengthening into a hurricane before it arrives and bringing to Massachusetts damaging winds, rain, and storm surges along the coast.

Henri is expected to bring up to 8 inches of rain and winds as strong as 50 miles per hour to Massachusetts, prompting state officials to warn of power outages that could affect up to 300,000 residents. State officials have canceled some MBTA service and urged people to stay inside on Sunday.

Here are answers to some questions about what we know so far — and what we might expect as the storm approaches the region in the coming days. Forecasters warned that the storm’s path is likely to change.

By Emily Sweeney

Forecasters say Tropical Storm Henri could strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches New England this weekend, which means residents should be ready for high winds, heavy rain, large waves, and storm surge. Here’s what you can do to prepare and stay safe.

By Travis Andersen and Martin Finucane, Globe staff

With the dangerous Tropical Storm Henri approaching the region, Governor Charlie Baker on Friday urged people to stay home when the storm hits on Sunday. The MBTA is expected to cancel some service that day, and Baker said up to 1,000 members of the National Guard will be available to assist with any rescues, debris clearing, and other issues.

By Brittany Bowker and John R. Ellement, Globe staff

The National Weather Service issued hurricane watches early Friday morning for portions of southeastern Massachusetts, as well as Rhode Island, as Tropical Storm Henri approaches New England. Nearly all track models now show Henri’s center reaching the coast of southern New England and strengthening over the next two days, likely to become a hurricane by Saturday, forecasters said.

 

Thursday, August 19, 2021

 

By Dave Epstein, Globe correspondent

It’ll be a damp, humid afternoon Thursday before we turn to the next weather system approaching New England: Tropical Storm Henri.

Remnants of Fred brought tropical downpours to much of Southern New England Thursday morning with some localized flooding especially west of Worcester. This system will continue to move off towards the Northeast during the afternoon leaving us in a bit of a lull for the rest of the day. Humidity levels will be quite high making it feel rather tropical.

The relatively tranquil weather with highs in the 80s will continue through Saturday before things go downhill on Sunday as the next tropical system named Henri approaches.

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