Gov. Baker Says Prepare For Power Outages Ahead Of Tropical Storm Henri
BOSTON (CBS) -- Gov. Charlie Baker said Tropical Storm Henri's shift west is good news for Eastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. The governor briefed the media Saturday afternoon after getting off a call with President Joe Biden and regional governors to discuss the storm.
He said his original concerns about wind and storm levels on Cape have been lessened slightly based on Tropical Storm Henri's current track.
"No matter where you are in Massachusetts, I think you can go out but you should be careful. I think the Cape is going to have a much less significant challenge than we anticipated yesterday," Baker said.
Statewide, Baker's largest concern is power outages. Estimates show 300,000 could lose power for an extended period of time. Everyone in the state should be prepared to lose power, even if they typically don't during storms.
"This thing may change again in some respects. I think one of the main points we want to make, though, is given all the rain we've had over the course of the past 30 days, the really significant amount of rain that's going to come with this -- no one disputes that -- we do have the potential for significant power outages across the Commonwealth and people should plan accordingly," Baker said.
He reminded residents to continue to stay updated with local forecasts.
Minor flooding is possible along the coast but Central and Western Massachusetts will now see the heavier rain. National Guard assets and personnel will shift there.
Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler said the storm should still be taken seriously.
Drivers, in particular, should be cautious and not drive into flooded water. "Just six inches of water can stall passenger cars and create a habit hazard for drivers in first responders," Tesler said.
"The one thing we do have a fair amount of confidence about even if people are still sort of debating the exact route of this is basically Sunday day and a big part of Sunday night into Monday morning, is when people expect the weather will be at its worst," said Baker.
"If you have to go out. Be careful. Plan ahead and be cautious."