Coast Guard warns mariners, prepares for storm, coastal flooding in Northeast

The Coast Guard is advising mariners and the public along the Massachusetts and Rhode Island coast to exercise vigilance and extreme caution Thursday night through Saturday as a powerful storm approaches.

Conditions are expected to deteriorate Thursday night. Along with heavy rain and strong wind gusts, high tide cycles from Friday into Saturday are at risk for widespread, major coastal flooding. The intensity and height of the predicted storm’s wave action combined with the astronomically high tides, and the long duration of this coastal storm, could significantly exceed the coastal flooding damage experienced during the nor’easter this past January.

The forecasted high winds, rain, coastal flooding, and heavy seas will make operation in the maritime environment dangerous.

Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod aircraft have been flying storm tracks ahead of the storm to warn mariners of the impending storm. Click here for audio of the broadcast.

Coast Guard Cutter Spencer, a 270-foot cutter homeported in Boston, will be staged off the coast to respond to offshore search and rescue cases.

Due to the extreme conditions some Coast Guard assets may have limited ability to respond to vessels in distress. Therefore, waterfront operators, mariners, fishing vessels, recreational boaters, and the general public should exercise extreme caution as conditions begin to deteriorate on Thursday night.

Mariners and recreational boaters are warned to take the following precautions to protect their vessels and their crews:

• If a storm is approaching, do not go out to sea.

• Double-check lines when securing your boat. Take precautions for items stored loosely aboard.

• Secure all paddle craft and ensure they are not located in or near the tidal surge zone.

• Contact local marinas for advice on how best to secure your vessel.

• If you must get underway, create a float plan and send it to your friends and families before getting underway. Ensure that you have the proper signaling devices onboard your vessel and the correct amount of life jackets onboard.

• The storm is likely to produce dangerous winds and coastal flash flooding. Personal watercraft and paddle craft users are advised to stay off the water due extremely hazardous sea conditions. Also, swimmers, surfers, and wind surfers are strongly urged to stay out of the water during this period of heavy weather. 

• Always wear a proper life jacket when on a boat or personal watercraft.

All boaters and those living along coastal communities are urged to secure their small craft, including canoes, kayaks, and paddle craft, due to the expected high winds, heavy seas, and storm surge. Paddle craft owners are urged to pull and secure vessels well above high water levels to avoid craft being pulled off the shore. Once at sea, unmanned craft often result in complex, unnecessary searches thereby reducing Coast Guard's capability to respond to actual distress at sea. Also, please clearly mark all paddle craft with owner's name and contact information.

Coast Guard Sector Boston’s area of responsibility extends from Plymouth, MA, to the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border and is expected to be heavily impacted.

“Our primary concern is ensuring the safety of the people and mariners who live and work throughout the New England coastal community,” said Capt. Claudia Gelzer, Commander, Coast Guard Sector Boston. “We strongly advise everyone to stay vigilant, pay attention to any weather updates, and avoid putting themselves or their loved ones at risk as the storm passes off the coast.”

For additional information on the storm, visit the National Weather Service: http://www.weather.gov/box/

DPW makes sand – and sandbags – available to residents

Hull DPW Director James Dow posted the following news item this morning:

Due to pending torrential rains and potential localized street and neighborhood flooding, the Department of Public Works is offering free sandbags to any current Hull residents.

Come to the DPW garage at 9 Nantasket Ave. to get the bags. There is a pile of sand out behind the garage in our yard that has a "sand filling station".

There is a shovel at the sand pile and you must fill the bags yourself. If you have physical limitations or are unable to fill and load them, please come into the office and we will do our best to assist you if personnel are available.

Times issues correction for Feb. 8 story error

A page 3 story in the Feb. 8 Hull Times reports that Sunset Bay Marina is up for sale.

That's wrong. It's Sunset Marine that's on the market.

Sunset Bay Marina is at 2 A St., where preparations for another successful boating season are well underway.

Sunset Marine, the property owned by William Kelley, is at 839 Nantasket Ave. As the story notes, the marina and two adjacent apartment buildings are being marketed by Colliers.

We sincerely regret the error. 

Town seeks seasonal officers

The Hull Police Department is accepting applications for seasonal police officers this summer. 

Open to women and men from any town, becoming a seasonal police officer is a great way to gain real-world experience and on-the-job training. Most applicants have not been to a full-time police academy and becoming a seasonal officer makes them more marketable to their resident department for sponsorship if they decide they would like to pursue a full-time police officer position.

Led by Hull Police Sgt. Scott F. Saunders, seasonal officers are led through a series of tests throughout the hiring process. Candidates go through a background check, medical checkup, firearms qualification course, physical agility test, and in-house training before going out onto the streets as an officer. Not only do the tests and training prepare them for their seasonal position at Hull, but it also helps prepare them for full-time positions. 

"Our program is a great way to get people in here and give them some practical experience,” Sgt. Saunders said. “A lot of applicants don’t truly know the ins and outs of being a police office,  and our program helps them figure out if they would like to pursue this career full-time in the future.”

The position runs from Memorial Day to Sept. 13 and includes three shifts per week. After Sept. 13, officers can apply to be special officers, where they will be sworn in and extend their service through the winter months with two shifts per week.

To be considered, applicants must be 21 years of age, have graduated from an MPTC Reserve Police Academy, be CPR- and first aid certified, submit to a full background and CORI check, and complete a medical and PAT test at their own cost. 

Interested applicants should contact Sgt. Saunders at ssaunders@hullpolice.org by March 1 for details and/or consideration.

Nomination papers for state office will be available beginning Friday

The 2018 election cycle officially kicks off at noon Friday, when nomination papers for this year's state primaries and general election will be available.

Potential candidates for state legislative offices and county posts will have until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1 to submit their paperwork to local officials to have their signatures certified. For federal and statewide office hopefuls, the deadline is a week later, May 8. State and federal candidates not running with a party affiliation have until July 31.

One U.S. Senate seat – now held by Sen. Elizabeth Warren – and all nine Congressional seats will be on the ballot, as will the constitutional offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, and auditor. All 200 seats in the state Legislature will be up, for two-year terms.

The signature-gathering requirements range from 150 for a state representative to 10,000 for U.S. senator, governor and lieutenant governor, and attorney general .

Primaries are scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 4, and the state election is Nov. 6.

Nomination papers will be available in the elections division of Secretary of State William Galvin's office, room 1705 in the state office building at One Ashburton Place in Boston, as well as regional offices in Fall River and Springfield. - Katie Lannan/SHNS

Town mobilizes as 'bomb cyclone' of a storm bears down on region

By Allan Stein

   While hoping for the best, Hull officials say the town is fully prepared for the worst snowstorm in decades – what weather forecasters are calling a “bomb cyclone.”
   With the mammoth storm expected to hit the East Coast in the early morning hours today (Jan. 4), the town is braced for a triple whammy of powerful winds, blizzard conditions, and pounding ocean waves as Winter Storm Grayson sweeps across the region. 
   Forecasters are predicting 8 to 12 inches of snow, with an arctic blast of subzero temperatures following the storm’s departure Thursday night.
   Robert Gilman, a professional meteorologist and member of Hull’s Beach Management Committee, said the intense storm will bring hurricane force winds topping 70 mph and tidal action driving sea ice in along with coastal floodwaters. 
   The impact of this unusual storm could prove especially damaging to beachfront properties, Gilman warned. “I haven’t seen a storm like this” — ever, he said.
   Hull officials say they’ve left nothing to chance.
   On Wednesday, School Superintendent Michael Devine canceled Thursday’s classes on the recommendation of Fire Chief Christopher Russo. Custodial staff is keeping the buildings warm around the clock so the pipes won’t freeze, Devine said.
   “This one we called early,” the superintendent said Wednesday morning. “Every forecast predicts we are going to get hammered.”
   Devine said the district sent out emails and texts alerting parents of the cancellation. If all goes as planned — and the storm is merciful — classes could resume in all three schools Friday, he said.
   “We are playing it by ear,” Devine said.
   Town Manager Philip Lemnios said Russo, the town’s emergency management director, has been coordinating storm preparedness ahead of the storm with his public safety officials.
   “Our staff is ready. We began preparing on Tuesday in the event of significant snowfall and flooding,” Lemnios said. “We are being advised to be the most concerned with high tide on Thursday at 12:41 p.m. We are likely to experience some minor [to] moderate flooding in the northeast and north-facing locations. Temporary road closures are likely.”
   All public works equipment is ready to be deployed “as needed,” Lemnios said. “We will pre-treat major roads with salt beginning late this evening [Wednesday]. Snow operations will begin early tomorrow morning.”
   The department has sufficient stockpiles of sand, salt, and fuel, he said.
   As a flooding precaution, the water level also has been lowered via the tide gate at Straits Pond. A Gunrock seawall contractor is addressing the work site in compliance with the town’s emergency plan, the town manager said.
   “We are prepared for several days of full-scale operations if the storm requires it,” Lemnios said. “If the forecast changes, we are prepared to adjust our plans to meet the conditions as necessary.”
   The town’s police, fire, and sewer departments are fully staffed and ready to respond, he said. In addition, Bay Street will be made one way temporarily to aid snow-removal efforts. The fire department’s Central, Green Hill, and Village fire substations will also be operating and fully staffed. 
   A Code Red reminder will be issued to residents reminding them of the winter parking bans that are in place. [To see the full list of parking restrictions, visit www.hullpolice.org.]
Lemnios said the DPW currently has eight plow/sanders and a sidewalk plow to cope with the storm. The town will hire eight to 10 contractors with various sized vehicles to assist, he said.
The Memorial Middle School will serve as an emergency operations and warming center for the duration of the storm. 
   "We will open a warming station at the Middle School if needed; the High School can also be added if necessary. Fire Chief Russo will determine if that is necessary,” Lemnios said.  
   The town manager said the estimated cost of the storm is $35,000 to $40,000 “depending on duration and supplies.”
   On Wednesday, the MBTA announced that all ferry service on Thursday had been cancelled due to the storm, including all service on the Hull to Boston route. 
   Hingham ferry service out of the Hingham Intermodal Facility was suspended Tuesday due to ice damage to the dock, and that disruption will continue for the foreseeable future. Many Hingham commuters use the Hull boat when service to our neighboring community is disrupted. 
   Lemnios said town officials have not seen a “huge demand” for commuter parking at the high school as a result of the Hingham closure. However, he said there has been an increase in passenger pickup and drop-off.