High Wind — Eastern Essex, Massachusetts

2021-10-26 to 2021-10-27 · Eastern Essex, Massachusetts

Event narrative

A CWOP station in Rockport recorded a gust to 78 mph at 435 AM EDT (335 AM EST). A Weatherflow mesonet site a Children's Island recorded a gust to 76 mph at 559 AM EDT (459 AM EST). High sustained winds also were recorded...with 41 mph in Wenham at 454 AM EDT and in Salem at 745 AM EDT. In Ipswich at 736 PM EDT on the 26th, a large tree was down on Walding Field Rd. In Lynn at 807 PM EDT, trees and wires were down on Madison St. and at 1020 PM, a tree and wires were down on Baker St. In Beverly at 933 PM, trees and wires were down on two cars on Western Ave and at 1214 AM EDT, a tree was down near Cabot Lane. In Danvers at 941 PM, a tree was down on Hathorne Ave. In Peabody at 1117 PM, two trees were down on Forest St. In Essex at 1215 AM EDT, a tree was down on Apple St. In Rockport at 1218 AM EDT on the 27th, a tree was down on Railroad Ave. In Salem at 615 AM EDT, wires were down on cars on Friend St. These are just the reports that were sent to the NWS office -- there were many more trees downed than this. According to state EMA officials, damage totals for Essex County were $118,432, the majority of which was for debris removal.

Wider weather episode

A low pressure nor'easter underwent bombogenesis as it developed east of Nantucket on the 26th. It then moved west toward Nantucket Sound, before heading eastward again back out to sea on the 27th. Winds gusted to 60-90+ mph. More than one-half million power outages were reported...495,000 in MA and 96,800 in RI. Schools were closed for multiple days, as it took a while to clean up the downed trees/wires and to restore power.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 987664. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.