Ferocious nor'easter slams Massachusetts and surrounding states

Fallen tree in New Bedford, MA. Photo: Peter Pereira

A considerable storm among the many I’ve seen in my days. A lot of people on the South Shore may not have power until after the weekend, and some are in shelters tonight. They’ll pull through, but prayers for them. Via WFXT - 

BOSTON — Thousands of Massachusetts residents woke up without power Wednesday morning as a powerful nor’easter thrashes New England with heavy rain and hurricane-force gusts.

Be extra cautious on the roads as driving conditions can be treacherous during these types of storms. Damage is being reported across the state.

The South Shore was crushed leaving many towns with no power at all.

“It’s just howling wind, houses were shaking, my house was shaking,” said Tom Hence of his Cohasset home.

Cohasset Police Chief Bill Quigley said his officers were inundated with calls. “We’ve gotten used to these fizzling out, but this is not the case. I’ve been here for 30 years and this is the worst I’ve seen,” Chief Quigley said.

In Cohassett, police say a Commuter Rail train hit a fallen tree on the Green Bush line. Police cleared the broken tree. The MBTA said they had to clear about 50 trees from several commuter rail lines.

Boats were also a casualty of the nor’easter. The damage was everywhere, making getting around a chore. Even the press building at one of the athletic fields in Cohassett was taken out. (Read more)

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Pentagon: Climate change is a threat to national security

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Via NPR - 

In a report last week, the Pentagon found that "increasing temperatures; changing precipitation patterns; and more frequent, intense, and unpredictable extreme weather conditions caused by climate change are exacerbating existing risks" for the U.S. 

For example, recent extreme weather has cost billions in damages to U.S. military installations, including Tyndall Air Force Base and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Also, the military has bases on Guam and the Marshall Islands that are vulnerable to rising seas. And China may be able to take advantage of U.S. susceptibility, the Pentagon says. 

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks tells NPR that Congress should be paying attention as the Biden administration tries to put together a clean energy plan that Sen. Joe Manchin will support. The Democrat from West Virginia stymied an earlier effort. 

"We need to have the rest of the government with us. We can't do it just here at DOD," she tells Morning Edition. (Read more)

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‘(T)oo inundated with information to take the threat seriously.’ All is not well with the collective psyche of America

Paullee Wheatley-Rutner via Storyful

AP - As flood alerts lit up phones, did 'warning fatigue' cost people their lives? 

The alarm was sounded on COVID before it reached our shores in earnest in March 2020, and millions of Americans refused to take it seriously. More than 600,000 deaths and 39 million cases later, millions still stubbornly refuse to follow protocol and some still believe it’s a hoax even as people are dying all around us. So, what chance did the National Weather Service have when they sent out warnings of the catastrophic flooding that would engulf New York City and surrounding areas this past week? People shrugged their shoulders, or got annoyed, or otherwise didn’t take the warnings seriously. They couldn’t be arsed to take heed, and a few of them likely died as a direct result of their apathy, stubbornness, and willful ignorance. I am honestly beginning to believe that an imminent warning of a nuclear bomb heading our way wouldn’t move people to action anymore. What a pathetic country of losers we are becoming. 

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Deadly Hurricane Ida batters Louisiana and the Gulf Coast

GOES-East NOAA

Prayers for all in the path of Ida ...  

The Weather Channel – Continuing coverage 

Ongoing coverage from WWL TV in New Orleans 

President Biden’s remarks before virtual FEMA briefings on Ida preparation 

As Ida arrives, New Orleans veteran meteorologist reflects on Hurricane Katrina 16 years later 

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