BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine —
Boating season is nearly over by this time of year, but the approach of a strong windstorm may have persuaded a few holdouts it was time to leave the water. At Hodgdon Yachts Southport Yard, Wednesday was a day-long push to get more boats onshore. In harbors all along the midcoast, it was a common scene, moving boats to sheltered spots, adding more mooring lines or simply hauling them out of the water.
It was one part of the preparation for a storm forecast to hit the midcoast with 59 to 60 miler per hour winds early Thursday morning.
Emergency management leaders say they expect the storm will produce power outages, especially because many trees still have their leaves. The added since resistance, officials say, makes them more vulnerable to breaking branches or even falling completely, taking power lines with them.
“if that happens,” says local emergency management director Clarence ‘Scott” Campbell, “we will open up the fie stations and town offices as warming shelters or charging stations if need be.”
Asked if large power outages are the big worry, Campbell said yes.
“It is, and also people going down on the rocks to watch the waves during the storm. We don’t want anybody going down on the rocks and getting washed overboard.”
Campbell said local fire departments are all prepared to respond to emergencies and he plans to bd on duty, monitoring calls through the early morning hours when the wind and rain are forecast to be most severe.
