High Wind — Barnstable, Massachusetts

2021-10-26 to 2021-10-27 · Barnstable, Massachusetts

Event narrative

Winds gusted to 60-80+ mph on the outer portions of Cape Cod and to 50-60+ mph in the western portions of Cape Cod, near the canal. Peak wind gusts included: 84 mph in Dennis (CWOP), 82 mph in Wellfleet (Weatherflow), 81 mph in Eastham at Hatch Beach (Weatherflow), and 70 mph in Barnstable at Kalmus Beach (Weatherflow). A Weatherflow site at Woods Hole, right on the water, in Falmouth recorded a gust to 79 mph at 411 AM EDT. In Mashpee at 325 AM EDT, an automated weather station recorded high sustained winds of 49 mph. The winds caused widespread damage to trees and power lines. According to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, reported damage in Barnstable County amounted to $1,247,874. Approximately $800,000 of that damage total was for debris removal and emergency protective measures. A few of the specific damage reports, received at NWS-Norton, will now be listed. In Chatham at 815 PM EDT (715 PM EST), a large tree was down on Fox Hill Road. In Harwich at 926 PM EDT, a tree was down on Rt. 28 near Freeman St. In Falmouth at 1030 PM EDT, a tree was down on Currier Rd. In Barnstable at 1205 AM EDT on the 27th, a tree and power lines were down on a car on Main St. The person had to be extricated, but was uninjured. In Sandwich at 305 AM EDT, a tree and power lines were down on Rt. 130. In Brewster at 11 AM EDT on the 27th, multiple trees were down along Rt. 6A. In Wellfleet at 12 Noon EDT, a large mobile home at a construction site was flipped over.

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 987785. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.