Southborough Emergency Management Director of Operations Neal Aspesi said Hurricane Irene is moving faster and tracking closer to Southborough than previously thought. The revised path could mean even more rain and wind for us.
The latest information comes from a conference call with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency this afternoon. Aspesi said forecasters believe Irene will pass over or just west of Worcester. This morning the projected path was over Springfield.
Aspesi said while things could still change, the current prediction “will put Southborough in the most dangerous area of the storm (strongest winds and heavy rain) for the longest duration with no break.”
The first bands of rain from Irene are expected to reach us Saturday night, and Aspesi said the height of the storm will likely last for a 12 hour period between Saturday night and Sunday night.
Rain should end early on Monday, with winds dissipating by midday.
Governor Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency for Massachusetts earlier today. There’s a good chance Southborough will follow suit with a local state of emergency, but the Board of Selectmen has not done so yet.
Aspesi said officials will continue to monitor the progress of the storm, and urged residents to wrap up their preparations by tonight or early tomorrow.
I’ll continue to post updates as I get them this weekend, so be sure to check back.
Does anyone know if 90 is closed in a state of emergency?