Plum Island Impassable, Residents Evacuated Due To Flooding
NEWBURYPORT (CBS) – The causeway providing access to Plum Island flooded during Thursday's storm, cutting off access to the barrier island.
Newburyport Mayor Donna Holday told WBZ-TV a family on the ocean side of Northern Blvd. was evacuated to a friend's home due to flooding. Holday said a National Guard high water vehicle will be needed to evacuate multiple residents from the basin side of Plum Island.
"The island is not passable," said Holday. The causeway is completely flooded with chunks of ice, storm surge, water. I was out there just at the start of high tide and barely made it back off the island with the waters. In 45 minutes it was incredible how the conditions deteriorated so rapidly out there.
Waters started to recede after the early afternoon high tide.
Holday said she was "very concerned" that the sewer system on Plum Island will freeze.
"We are just really at this point trying to make sure we can keep people out there safe and hopefully get the asset we need from the National Guard so we can relocate people as soon as possible," said Holday.
