Deadly nor’easter dumps several inches of rain, strong winds in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and we aren’t done
A deadly slow-moving September nor’easter dumped several inches of rain on Fall River and the rest of southeastern Massachusetts over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Boston/Norton, while the highest wind gusts stayed farther east along the Cape, Islands, and exposed coastline.
NWS Boston/Norton said the worst of the wind had already passed by Sunday morning, after High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories were canceled for eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. A Flood Watch remained in effect through late Monday night for Fall River and much of southern New England because additional rain was still expected.
NWS public reports through Sunday evening did not list a dedicated Fall River city gauge, but nearby Bristol County totals placed the city in a several-inch rain band.
Among official and volunteer reports compiled by NWS Boston/Norton:
- Swansea: 3.62 inches
- Somerset: 2.63 inches
- Dighton: 3.99 to 4.20 inches
- New Bedford Regional Airport: 3.60 inches
- New Bedford 4.3 miles north: 6.47 inches
- Acushnet: 7.33 inches, reported by a trained spotter
NWS said southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and parts of central and eastern Massachusetts had already seen a range of about 2 to 6 inches by Sunday, with some locations reaching 5 to 7 inches. Additional rainfall of about 0.50 to 2.00 inches was still possible through early Tuesday.
The biggest NWS-listed totals in southern New England were concentrated in southeastern Massachusetts and western Cape Cod. Top reports included:
- Acushnet: 7.33 inches
- Camp Edwards (Cape Cod): 7.11 inches
- New Bedford 4.3 N: 6.47 inches
- Falmouth area: 5.15 to 6.00 inches
The Weather Prediction Center’s storm summary also listed 6.73 inches near Plymouth among preliminary storm-total reports.
NWS said the strongest winds arrived Saturday as a low-level jet moved across the region. Widespread gusts of 45 to 55 mph were observed from Cape Cod and the Islands to coastal Rhode Island, with several coastal stations topping 60 mph.
Peak gusts compiled in NWS and Weather Prediction Center products included:
- Wellfleet: 70 mph
- Nantucket: 64 mph
- Rockport: 61 mph
- Martha’s Vineyard Airport: 55 mph
- Beverly and Lawrence airports: 52 mph
- Worcester: 51 mph on Saturday
Closer to Fall River, NWS listed a 46-mph gust near Horseneck Beach and gusts around 55 to 59 mph over water near Mattapoisett. New Bedford was still reporting northeast winds around 13 mph, gusting to 22 mph, late Sunday. After the peak, NWS expected remaining gusts of about 25 to 40 mph Sunday, easing further Monday.
The nor’easter claimed at least two lives over the weekend.
According to the Berkshire Eagle, 78-year-old Dr. Bruce Evenchik, a retired eye doctor and founder of the Berkshire Eye Center, died after a tree fell on him while he was walking his dog at Kennedy Park. Lenox Police Sgt. Michael Smith said conditions that day were dangerous, with many trees down in the county. Officers had just cleared another tree-on-car call when they were notified of his death.
SAN News is reporting that 56-year-old Leighton Brown, a New York City Housing Authority employee, was killed Saturday when a tree fell on him.
