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UPDATES: Governor declares state of emergency due to storm impacts

BOSTON -- The forecast for this weekend's storm calls for major flooding along all of Massachusetts’ coast into Saturday with more severe impacts than January’s storm. This story will be updated throughout the storm with the latest information at the top.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE COVERAGE | IMAGES: MARCH NOR'EASTER | FRIDAY'S WIND GUSTS AND RAIN TOTALS

Saturday, 7:00 p.m.: 

A coastal flood warning has been issued for the north shore, south shore and Cape and Islands for the next high tide overnight. Minor to pockets of moderate flooding expected.

Coastal flood advisory for the Boston area due to lingering minor flooding.

Saturday, 3:00 p.m.:

Plymouth PD say a man was crushed to death by a tree after it fell onto the roof of his car.

36-year-old Ryan McDonald was sitting inside his car in his driveway in Plympton when the large pine tree toppled over, trapping and killing him.

Saturday, 12:15 p.m.

Gov. Charlie Baker has declared a state of emergency to help the victims of the storm. Declaring a state of emergency allows for the deployment of federal and interstate resources.

The National Guard has already sent  53 vehicles to various cities, towns and strategic locations throughout Eastern Massachusetts.

Saturday, 11:00 a.m.

With high tide just an hour away, we are tracking the wave height and monitoring the remnants of the storm.

Power outages are now at 379,099; National Grid said it cannot work on the lines in places where the wind is gusting above 35 mph, which is most of the South Shore, along with the Cape and Islands.

For those who need a shelter to warm up, click here for all the Red Cross shelters in the state. 

Saturday, 8:00 a.m.

WIND AND RAIN: SEE TOTALS HERE

The flood warning has expanded along the South Shore due to the rivers and will be in effect through mid-afternoon. Power outages remain at above 380,000.

Amtrak has canceled most of its New England service Saturday and the MBTA is running shuttles on the Green Line D Branch due to weather-related damage.

The National Guard is in Quincy helping with clean-up and rescuing people as needed. Though the water is receeding in some areas, officials remind citizens that it's not necessarily safe to go out.

Saturday, 6:00 a.m.:

Power outages are now at 380,000 in Massachusetts, still centralized along the Cape.

There was additional flooding overnight with the high tide, and more is predicted during Saturday afternoon's high tide.

A Coastal Flood Warning remains in effects for nearly the entire Massachusetts coast, and a High Wind Warning is in effect for the Cape and Islands. A flood warning continues for the Taunton River near Bridgewater.

Friday, 11:00 p.m.:

Power outages have now surpassed 450,000 in Massachusetts with much of Cape Cod losing electricity in the past hour, especially Outer Cape communities like Truro and Provincetown where 100 percent of residents have lost power.

High Tide for Provincetown will be just before midnight, and many low-lying areas are bracing for flooding.

As the storm passes, winds are shifting so they will be blowing into Cape Cod Bay, which will put residents in the bay-facing communities at higher risk.

Along the South Shore the shifting winds are also expected to cause problems. From Quincy to Scituate and Plymouth, many coastal roads are closed.

Emergency officials in many of these communities said that once power goes out it will likely not be restored until Saturday.

Friday, 9:30 p.m.:

Rain is transitioning to snow for much of the area and we're about two hours away from high tide for the coastal communities.

Tune in to Boston 25 News at 10 & 11 for Kevin's full forecast and snowfall amounts.

Friday, 7:30 p.m.:

Gov. Baker will and other emergency management officials spoke from the MEMA bunker in Framingham for about 30 minutes.

"People in those homes [without power] need to plan for a prolonged event," the MEMA director said.

An MBTA official also spoke and asked for patience from epople relying on the transit system and said it's best to avoid travel if possible.

Friday, 7:00 p.m.:

Emergency management officials from Scituate spent about 15 minutes warning residents of the South Shore about how dangerous the conditions are.

INFO: Massachusetts Emergency Management AgencyEversource | National Grid

"It is NOT SAFE for people to be on the roads in Scituate right now," the police chief said.

More than 75 percent of Scituate is without power, and many other towns across Plymouth County are in the same situation.

Power for the area is expected to remain largely out into Saturday and possibly longer depending on the severity of the storm.

The Town Manager said a record-setting 15-foot high tide would not be out of the question during the 11:50 p.m. peak.

Friday, 6:30 p.m.:

Salisbury Police is warning residents who wish to evacuate to do so right now, when roads are still passable. Beach Road route 1A is open and passable in both directions at the moment.

Friday, 6 p.m.:

Winds were hitting over 90 mph in Barnstable according to the Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning

More than 200,000 people reported losing power during as of Friday evening.

Eversource efforts restored power to more than 42,000 customers impacted by the storm. Line and tree crews will continue to work to restore power through the storm.

The MBTA Green Line D Branch replaced service with shuttle buses between Reservoir and Riverside stations due to a downed tree at Woodland and one in Chestnut Hill.

Fire officials in Duxbury are urging residents to stay inside as many roads have been shut down and powerful winds pose a threat to safety.

Friday, 5 p.m.:

Crews in Wenham are working to shut off gas and electricity to one neighborhood after a utility pole fell and sparked an underground gas line.

In addition, Amtrak has announced that all service in the Northeast corridor until Friday.

"Despite our best effort to restore service between BOS and WAS today, we have determined at this time it is not safe to do so," a tweet from Amtrak said.

Friday, 4:00 p.m.: 

There are currently more than 125,000 people without power across the state of Massachusetts. The most severely hit areas are the South Shore and South Coast, but there are problems reported in every county.

In addition, MassDOT crews in the western part of the state report that snow is beginning to fall, making wet roads even more slick.

Friday, 3:30 p.m.: 

Quincy police have told Boston 25 News that they have rescued at least 50 people from flooded areas in town as of this writing, with more rescues expected throughout the storm.

Eric Rasmussen will have a more detailed look at these rescues on Boston 25 News starting at 4 p.m.

Friday, 2:00 p.m.: 

Wind damage reports were widespread Friday afternoon as the number of reported customers without power jumped to nearly 70,000, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

While flooding and high tides continued to shut down roads along the coast and batter waterfront homes, trees and power lines began coming down all over eastern Massachusetts.

Arsenal Street in Watertown was shut down when eight power poles were blown onto the street and Tewksbury Police said emergency responders rescued a man who was in a jeep crushed by a falling tree. He was expected to be okay.

ALL residents should shelter in place if possible. We have numerous wires and trees down and several street closings. ...

Posted by Sharon Fire-Rescue on Friday, March 2, 2018

Friday, 1:00 p.m.:

Pell Bridge in Newport, Rhode Island is back open to some vehicles after a truck toppled over on the bridge earlier, causing it to be shut down for awhile.

Meanwhile, Arsenal Street in Watertown is shut down at this hour after eight power line poles were knocked down due to the strong winds. According to MEMA, about 1,000 customers are without power at this time.

Over all, MEMA is currently reporting almost 33,000 customers without power.

Friday, 12:00 p.m.:

Wind has gusted over 60 mph across eastern Massachusetts and winds could reach hurricane force (75 mph) along the Cape.

By noon Friday, MEMA was reporting over 30,000 customers without power and images of damage were pouring into Boston 25 News.

INFO: Massachusetts Emergency Management AgencyEversource | National Grid

Friday, 11:30 a.m.:

Forecasted flooding has arrived with the first high tide of the storm.

Waves have been crashing over seawalls up and down the Massachusetts coast from Scituate to Rockport and the surf is pouring through.

The on-going concern for this storm is the repetition of high tides throughout Friday evening and into Saturday morning. With the high surf and strong winds, the water will have little chance to recede between the tides, making flooding worse.

Water has been pouring onto Atlantic Avenue in Boston and is now flowing into Aquarium station.

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Friday, 10 a.m.:

All eyes are on the coast as large waves continue to crash along the shore, and that’s already caused flooding from the North Shore to the South Shore.

Residents have been preparing for the possibility of major flooding and severe beach erosion from slow-moving storm.

So slow, in fact, officials are worried that major flooding could occur over the course of three high tides.

Winds are also a problem.

Nantucket has seen a wind gust of 59 mph, and that’s the highest reported so far during the storm.

Rockport is a close second with a wind gust of 53 mph.

Milton and Fairhaven have seen gusts of 50 mph.

Friday 9 a.m., 

A dangerous, life-threatening nor'easter continues to intensify, and as a result trees and wires are being brought down across the area.

Around 8:30 a.m., more than 17,000 customers were in the dark because of the storm, and nearly 7,800 of those were in Gloucester and across the North Shore.

The power outage numbers have fluctuated all morning, but the spike to 17,000 was the highest we've seen all morning.

Friday, 8 a.m.

As expected, conditions on the state's roads and highways have started to deteriorate.

MORE: Current Traffic Conditions

At 9 a.m., the following roads will be closed:

  • Morrissey Boulevard from Freeport Street to UMass
  • Quincy Shore Drive
  • Revere Beach Boulevard and Ocean Avenue

Duxbury police said Keene Street was closed between Route 53 and Congress Street for reports of trees and wires down. It’s unknown when that road will reopen.

A utility pole was brought down on Chestnut Street. As a result, police have closed the road from Chestnut & Gordon Road and Fuller Street & Chestnut. Drivers are asked to seek an alternate route.

Several trees were also knocked down at the Oak Grove MBTA station, including one that fell onto an SUV. MBTA Transit Police were reportedly assisting at the station.

Friday, 7 a.m.:

Power outages have started to spike in Massachusetts. More than 4,500 customers are in the dark statewide, with more than 2,000 in Newburyport alone.

Those numbers are expected to grow as the nor'easter intensifies.

INFO: Massachusetts Emergency Management AgencyEversource | National Grid

Friday, 6 a.m.:

Travel conditions are expected to deteriorate all morning as the nor'easter continues to intensify.

As a result, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced all ferry service will be suspended Friday.

Commuters should also note that the storm is expected to have significant impacts to service, especially on the Rockport/Newburyport and Haverhill Commuter Rail lines.

Blue Line service is also expected to be impacted.

Friday, 4 a.m.:

The dangerous and potentially life-threatening nor’easter has arrived, and it’s bringing snow, heavy rain and strong winds – and it’s only going to get worse.

Snow and a wintry mix have moved into western Massachusetts, while heavy rain and wind have started to pick up in intensity in eastern and southeastern Massachusetts.

More schools have announced that they will remain closed Friday as this potentially historic storm continues to batter the area.

Also, officials with the New England Aquarium said the facility will stay closed due to the possibility of flooding.

Thursday, 10 p.m.:

At a news conference Thursday night, Gov. Baker again urged businesses in flood-prone areas to close on Friday or allow employees to work from home if possible.

Baker spoke just after 10 p.m. along with leaders from MassDOT and MBTA about the preparations underway.

"I can't stress this enough: This is not a snow storm, but it's a heck of a storm and people need to take it seriously," he said.

The Hingham ferry will be closed, but the MBTA said there will be extra seats added to the Greenbush Commuter Rail trains to accommodate passengers who usually take the ferry.

A top priority for MEMA and the National Guard will be deploying high-water rescue vehicles to flooded coastal areas as needed and ensuring the safety of people who live in those communities.

Thursday, 9:30 p.m.:

Many North Shore residents who spoke with Boston 25 News reporter Christine McCarthy said they are planning to stay put.

“Stay in. don’t come out on the roads and come wandering around to see what it looks like because it’s very dangerous. If you get a get a road wave, you can end up drowning,” former Newburyport Selectman Vincent Russo said.

The concern again is the duration of the storm, which could block off access to Plum Island for two full days.

"I live in the house my parents did and they did it during the blizzard of ‘78. They were here. So we’re safe," one Plum Island resident said.

Thursday, 8:45 p.m.:

On Cape Cod, storm preparation crews are expecting enough rain and wind-driven flooding to caused widespread road closures. Thankfully, officials said, many people have not returned from winter getaways.

A mandatory evacuation has not been ordered, but residents who live in low-lying areas are being advised to find higher ground.

“The January storm we had one tide cycle we had to worry about. This storm we have at least three, maybe four,” Sandwich Emergency Management Director Brian Gallant said. “There could be structural damage this time. We could have homes, we had many years ago we had homes falling in the ocean, we could have that again.”

Thursday, 8 p.m.:

Workers spent hours filling thousands of sand bags in Boston and using them to construct a wall around the Marriott and other businesses on Long Wharf.

“Certain sections of the seaport district are definitely going to be flooded. There are parts of the north end that are going to flood, Morrissey Boulevard is likely to flood,” Gov. Baker said in a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Many people who work in the city told Boston 25 News reporter Drew Karedes they're taking Baker's concerns seriously and planning to work from home Friday.

“I think im taking a personal day and staying home. Using my gas generator if I need to get power and snuggling with my cat and dog," Jill Clemmer said.

Thursday, 5 p.m.:

The MBTA is warning riders to be prepared for possible delays caused by the storm.

In particular, the Newburyport and Haverhill Commuter Rail lines as well as the Blue Line are expected to be significantly impacted.

In a similar flooding situation in January, flood water poured down the stairs into Aquarium Station on the Blue Line.

There was also significant damage to the Newburyport Line caused by flooding onto the tracks that froze and damaged the lines.

Thursday, 3 p.m.:

Three astronomically high tide cycles are expected to make impacts of the storm worse as the high winds and heavy seas increase into Friday evening and into Saturday.

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“We expect to lose homes during this storm,” Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency director Kurt Schwarz said. “If you are in one of those areas, you need to get out.”

The coastal storm, which bears many of the hallmarks of a nor’easter, could bring some hurricane force winds with gusts from 60 to 70 miles per hour, Schwarz added.

Residents in the coastal areas have been asked to evacuate and are reminded not to drive through standing or moving water associated with this storm.

MORE: Hour-By-Hour Forecast | INFO: MassDOT | MBTA | Logan Airport | Amtrak

WATCH LIVE

Governor Baker discussing preparedness ahead of impending storm.

Posted by Boston 25 News on Thursday, March 1, 2018

MEMA will be supporting sandbagging operations, debris cleanup and deploying high water vehicles throughout the duration of the storm and later into the weekend.

“We are well positioned to work through this dangerous storm well and if the public heeds the advice of local public officials and the governor to evacuate … we’ll get through this safely,” Schwarz said.

INFO: Massachusetts Emergency Management AgencyEversource | National Grid

The National Weather Service anticipates storm surges between three and four feet throughout the storm, Baker explained.

Some roads in downtown Boston along the Seaport and the North End, as well as in Dorchester, will likely become impassable and Baker said they will likely remain so for some time.

Baker said the National Guard has already been deployed to support efforts to help residents evacuate and recover.

MORE: As storm approaches, residents along coast warned to prepare for major flooding