Above: The projected path of Hurricane Earl (via Weather Underground)
It seems to be the question of the day. Will Hurricane Earl hit New England or will it veer offshore? It’s still anyone’s guess, but Southborough Emergency Management is keeping a close watch on things.
Fire Chief John Mauro, Jr. attended a conference call with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency earlier today and had this to share:
- CURRENTLY, it is anticipated that the center of Hurricane Earl will pass 50 to 100 miles southeast of Nantucket Friday night.
- There is a +/- 200 mile margin of error in the projected track.
- A weather system on western Canada will have an effect on the exact track of the hurricane. Trends will be monitored during the next 24-48 hours to see if this system will pull the hurricane in a more westerly direction.
- There is currently a 50/50 chance of tropical storm force winds (>39 MPH), and hurricane force gusts (>72 MPH) hitting Cape Cod with rainfall of 4-7” possible. Additionally, there is a 30% chance of heavy rain (3-5”) and some wind in the Worcester County area. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE HOWEVER, THAT ANY WESTWARD DEVIATION OF THE CURRENT PROJECTED TRACK WILL SHIFT THE HEAVIER RAIN AND WIND PREDICTIONS TOWARD OUR AREA.
- The National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service is predicting a Category 2, perhaps Category 3 storm as it passes Cape Cod.
I’ll post more updates as I get them.
What do you think? Are you battening down the hatches? Or do you think Earl will pass harmlessly offshore?
