My View of Life on the Dock
After the October nor’easter – photos in this morning’s beautiful atmospheric light.
Tangled lobster trap clots washed ashore after this week’s nor’easter, landing on the Rockport side of Long Beach between fire break #3 and the bridge to Cape Hedge. “Looks like a shipwreck,” people remarked.
The sand was stripped away from the riprap but the seawall is fine. The high tides did not swamp the wall or reach the street.
I wondered what impact the storm had on Wingaersheek and was surprised by penny candy on the horizon. If surf on the ocean side is not amenable, there are so many alternate beach options in Gloucester.Â
The surf was greater before and after high tide today which is unusual.
Beautiful breakers and sunset light slipping through the clouds after the storm.
Mother Ann’s silhouette through the waves
A huge shout out to Thacher Island Association and president Paul St. Germain for winning an Essex National Heritage Area partnership grant to restore the elevated pedestrian lighthouse walkway on Straitsmouth Island.
Paul St. Germain writes, “We will restore the original C 1850, 220-foot granite and wooden timber walkway to provide safe and easy access for the public to visit the lighthouse from the keeper house. This walkway has been there since 1854 and was destroyed sometime in the 1930’s. Besides its usefulness it has also been an iconic signature of the island’s profile for over 80 years.”
This unique 1906 photo shows the 315-foot walkway, the oil house, and keeper house, as well as Thacher Island’s Twin Lights in the distance.
Straitsmouth Island pounding waves after March nor’easter
Shout out to Gloucester DPW’s Michael Silva and John Harris. This morning they removed all the rocks that were blocking the drainage pipe on Atlantic Road, near the Grapevine Road intersection. The rocks had been pushed into the drain by the March nor’easters.
So very sorry to see the beautiful shade-providing old oak tree taken out by the nor’easters.
Cressy’s beach was hit hard, too, with mountains of rocks displaced and the ramp leading to the beach severely damaged. Both Stage Fort beaches sustained quite a bit of erosion.
Grateful for the tameness of today’s storm, the fourth nor’easter of March. Our coastline has had its fill of damage done. Sunny skies forecasted for tomorrow!
Snowy day seagulls feeding in the surf
The arduous work of rebuilding the Niles Pond Brace Cove causeway continues, despite the mid-week blizzard. I walked the causeway Tuesday night and then again the past several mornings–the pace of the restoration is fantastic and will soon be completed. Many, many thanks to the generous residents of Eastern Point who are striving to keep Niles Pond from being engulfed by the sea.
R. B. Strong’s Larry expertly operates the John Deere excavator, deftly extracting and moving boulders around as if they were pebbles on the shore. The track-hoe not only scoops and lifts the massive rocks, the bucket is also used to tamp down the boulders once in place, as you can see in the video below.
Before high tide March 13, 2018Â
LIVE video (1 min – two 30 sec clips)
March 3 –Â March 5- March 13
Continue reading “LIVE Nor’easter storm #GloucesterMA Here you come again”
With the third nor’easter to hit our shores during the month of March expected to arrive tonight, track-hoe excavator Larry shares that the work continued today to fortify the causeway, and to possibly get more water to flow through the clogged drain that is preventing excess water from leaving Niles Pond.
For our readers general information, the cost of the repairs, restoration, and continued ongoing maintenance of the causeway, and surrounding area, are paid for entirely by the generous residents of Eastern Point, not tax payer dollars.
Large track-hoes (excavators) are needed to repair the damage done by the March nor’easter storm known as Riley.
The narrowest slip of land between a body of fresh water and the sea.
Native pussy willow trees survive storm after storm after storm after storm. More pussy willows, as well as other deep-rooted natives, need to be planted to help with the unending erosion.
Niles Pond water overflowing the bank and littered with debris swept in by the sea.
All City Offices (including City Hall), Gloucester Schools are Closed for Thursday, March 8, 2018.
Due to prolonged impacts of the ongoing winter storm, Governor Charlie Baker is announcing that all offices for non-emergency state executive branch employees will be closed today.
Overnight, heavy snowfall and high winds have resulted in hazardous driving conditions. With several communities experiencing power outages and downed trees, the administration is urging residents to stay off roadways and to use public transportation when possible.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND PROVIDER CONTACT INFORMATION AS FOLLOWS:
POWER OUTAGES
National Grid has been preparing for power outages in different areas across the North Shore, including Gloucester. If any outages do occur in your area, it is imperative that they be reported via the National Grid Customer Service or Outage Reporting phone lines as listed below. Every outage phone call that we receive is logged into our outage tracking system and better enables us to pinpoint the location of the issue. The sooner National Grid can identify the location of the issue, the quicker a response can be sent.
REMINDERS/ SAFETY INFORMATION
MASSACHUSETTS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS STATEMENT
Latest weather and emergency reports can be seen using the following links and resource lines:
Scenes and video from Long Beach, Gloucester, MA, just before high tide
In case you missed it, Mayor Romeo Theken’s photograph and interview about Nor’Easter storm Riley and its impact in Gloucester. Governor Baker coming to inspect hard hit Gloucester, MA and other cities and towns.
“Gloucester battered by storm surge” Boston Globe article
Damage everywhere we looked this morning, low tide, about 8am, March 4, 2018. With surf high at low tide, we expect the next high tide to surge more.
Long Beach seawall; Rockport Road; Gloucester and Rockport
Some evident damage to coastal homes in Gloucester MA and front row cottages by Long Beach pedestrian walkway. Surf inside and out found paths of entry.
The Long Beach pedestrian bridge was damaged. The boulder barrier seawall was cut down by half, maybe more.
rip rap exposed as far as the eye can see, Long Beach (looking from Rockport back to Gloucester, MA) Note every platform from the stairs was ripped away
video of surf looking to Gloucester end of Long Beach. Would not risk this walk at storm high tides- note multiple crests with each surge Continue reading “Paths of destruction winter storm damage Riley Long Beach #GloucesterMA”
Third tide
Scenes from high noon, flooding into streets and homes; coastal homes damaged still more with this third tide, day 2 nor’easter storm Riley. Long Beach seawall holds back relentless surf
Riley took bites out of the Long Beach seawall, and ripped out decks and fences wherever last night’s raging tide rushed. Debris strewn roads include large timber rails and rocks.
In case you missed Channel 7 report from Fisherman at the Wheel Stacy Boulevard. 19 foot waves according to buoys.
They’ve been there all day
Riley storm post earlier todayÂ
