Flooding On Seacoast Possible For Christmas Eve, Christmas Day

Editor's note: This article was written by Ricky Firey, a Seacoast-based official SKYWARN weather spotter through the National Weather Service.

Flooding and heavy winds are expected across the Seacoast and other parts of New England late Christmas Eve and into Christmas Day.

A strong storm will track west of the Seacoast, ushering in heavy rains, damaging winds and flooding.

With 1-2 inches of rain and a rapid melting of our snowpack, we can expect flooding in poor drainage areas and basements that are prone to becoming submerged. Damaging winds can also be expected with gusts up to 60 mph at our beaches.

Scattered to numerous power outages may become an issue for us on the Seacoast. It would be a good idea to be ready to be without power for an extended time frame. Have batteries and flashlights on hand.

If you have a generator, make sure it’s ready and safe for proper usage. Make sure you fill your bathtub with water if you have a well so you can flush your toilets.

Also have some non-perishables and a few gallons of water on hand and be sure to call or submit an online report to your electric utility if you lose power.

If your basement floods, make sure your sump pump is in working order. If you lose power, make sure you have a plan in place so you can continue to pump water out.

If you plan on traveling, be ready for delays from heavy rain and ponding of water. Allow some
extra time to get to your destinations.

Stay safe and Happy Holidays to everyone on the Seacoast!