Batten Down the Hatches: How to Prepare for the Coming Nor'easter

Not for nuthin'…. But….. the MOAM has seen a lot of nor'easters roll up the coast, and a September one is a rare bird. This one's a slow mover. It shows up Friday afternoon, parks itself south of Long Island for the weekend, and doesn't clear out until Monday. The forecasters are calling for 2 to 6 inches of rain along the coast and the Cape, 1 to 2 inches inland, and gusts of 40 to 50 mph on the shore, with 50 to 60 possible out on the Outer Cape and Nantucket. There are Coastal Flood and High Wind Watches up from the Islands to the New Hampshire line.

Here's the thing people forget. The trees still have all their leaves this time of year, so they catch the wind like a sail. It doesn't take a hurricane to bring down limbs and wires. Plan on losing power.

So here's the MOAM's checklist. Do it Thursday, not Saturday morning.

Charge everything: phones, power banks, flashlights, and the radio. Fill the gas tank, because pumps don't work without power. Get cash, water, and a few days of food you don't have to cook. Refill any prescriptions now.

Clean out the gutters and the storm drain at the end of the driveway. Six inches of rain has to go somewhere, and you'd rather it went down the street than into your cellar. Test the sump pump and get anything valuable up off the basement floor.

Bring in or tie down anything that can fly: patio furniture, trash barrels, grills, the kids' toys. If you've got a generator, run it outside and well away from the house. Never in the garage.

If you've got a boat still in the water, double up the lines, add chafe gear, and check it before the peak on Friday and Saturday. If you can haul it, haul it. The shop dory is staying snug indoors this weekend, thank you very much. Anyone taking the ferry to Nantucket, the Vineyard, or Block Island should expect cancellations Friday and Saturday.

If you live near the water south of Boston or on the Cape, watch the high tides late Friday and Saturday. That's when the flooding risk peaks. Don't drive through standing water, and if they tell you to move, move.

Last thing. Check on the older folks on your street before the rain starts. A knock on the door costs nothing.

We've weathered the Blizzard of '78 and the Perfect Storm. We'll get through a wet September weekend too. Hunker down, stay dry, and keep your powder dry.

MOAM Out.