Task Force heading to NJ, EF-0 Tornado confirmed in Dennis, flooding reported across MA

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team is sending a 16-member team to New Jersey to assist residents there affected by the damaging rains associated with Hurricane Ida that caused flooding across Massachusetts as well.

It’s the second task force from Massachusetts being deployed to storm-ravaged areas. Over the weekend, MA-TF1 sent an 80-member team to Louisiana to help residents affected by Hurricane Ida.

The task force was preparing to leave Beverly late Thursday afternoon, hours after an EF-0 tornado was confirmed in Dennis by the National Weather Service, as residents continued to experience flooding in several local communities on Thursday.

That tornado had winds near 75 mph, and was concentrated near intersection of East Bay View Road and Wampanoag Trail, according to the National Weather Service.

EF-0 Tornado confirmed in Dennis, flooding reported across MA

The damage was in a small area but it had many people taking shelter in the middle of the night.

Everyone in this area described the storm the same way.

Peter O’Sullivan, a Dorchester resident, was vacationing on Cape Cod with his family when their late-night movie night had them taking cover after getting his sister.

“The three of us just jumped on the floor and crawled over to her room, woke her up and went down to the basement for like 30 minutes,” O’Sullivan said. “When we did come upstairs, we went into that sunroom and porch and the the windows were broken and all the furniture was gone, it was pretty eye-opening.”

Flooded areas and roads were seen across Massachusetts on Thursday.

Waltham sees 'unprecedented flooding' residents say

Even after the rain stopped and the sun came out in local areas, flooding remained a major concern for residents in several communities. It also hindered travel on some public transit.

In Needham, MBTA Needham Line trains 617 and 620 were cancelled Thursday due to equipment availability issues caused by track flooding, according to @NeedhamLine, a Twitter account that gives travel alerts about the Needham Line.

Over in Northbridge, Northbridge residents were dealing with flooding as water from the swollen Blackstone River as it crept up to people’s homes.

Some predicted the crest of the river could reach its highest point in over 15 years.

In Medway, Choate Pond is flooded and police are asking people to avoid the bridge over the dam and the walking trails along the pond, along the Thayer House side.

In Boxborough, police said Liberty Square Road will be closed between #87 and Guggins Lane overnight due to flooding. No traffic or pedestrians will be allowed through this section of the road.

Over in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, resident Donna Viveiros described the damage to her home at the bottom of Fairview Lane.

“Rocks, mud, everything from the top of the road down is in my driveway,” Viveiros said.

Thursday morning, heavy downpours made for poor driving conditions on the roads.

By 5 a.m., Storrow Drive in the area of Massachusetts Avenue was completely flooded, Boston 25 News reporter Kelly Sullivan said.

At least one car was seen in the water.

Woman rescued from floodwaters on Storrow Drive overnight Thursday

And while the rain has let up in the Boston area, flooding remained a concern on Thursday afternoon.

The same was true on Cape Cod.

Boston 25 News reporter Evan White was along Route 6 in Bourne early Thursday morning, and several cars were stranded because water covered the roadway.

Conditions were expected to improve as the day continues.

Five tornado warnings were also issued between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Those were issued for communities in Bristol, Barnstable Plymouth and Dukes counties.

Power outages also climbed overnight, with nearly 20,000 customers in the dark at the height of the storm.

As of 2:17 p.m., those outages were down to just 295, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

Some school districts were forced to delay the start of school because of the weather. Both Bourne and Wareham public schools were on a 2-hour delay, while Mashpee schools reported a 1-hour delay.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said Orange Line service was suspended between Ruggles and Jackson due to flooding.

Also, all Franklin and Providence/Stoughton Commuter Rail trains were bypassing Back Bay, Ruggles and Hyde Park until further notice.

The weather also caused major delays on Amtrak. The company announced Thursday morning that because of the severe weather along the Northeast Corridor, all service between Washington D.C. and Boston was canceled.

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