Eyes on the shorelines, high tide as storm surges

SCITUATE, Mass. (WHDH) -- Another round of winter weather impacted the coast -- an area still feeling the effects from February’s blizzard.

The high tide in Scituate Thursday morning brought waves onto the roadways.

Officials in Scituate warn flooding could be worse than the blizzard. Coastal homeowners were strongly advised to evacuate no later than three hours before high tide. School in Scituate was canceled Thursday. An emergency shelter opened at the high school at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

Scituate High School turned into an emergency shelter for residents Thursday night.

"I didn't know if I was going to get flooded out, number one. Number two, usually I'll lose power," said Ted Holland, who evacuated his home. "If the tide comes in I lose my power. If I lose my power, I lose my heat."

“Everyone’s concerned about the high tide tomorrow morning at eight o’clock,” said one man.

“I think with this storm, it’s the duration of the storm and what we’re seeing is that from this morning is the tide really hasn’t receded a lot,” said Chief Brian Stewart, Scituate Police Department.

Some residents left Thursday morning.

“Leaving early in the morning before the tides and we’re hoping for the best,” one man said. “I’ve already had so much damage from four weeks ago that if it’s going to have it happen now…right now is the time for it to happen.”

Rebecca Road in Scituate is still a mess after last month’s blizzard. Some roads could be under two to four feet of water after high tide.

“Our house fared pretty well -- we just lost the skirting and no structural damage, but the homes across the street are uninhabitable. We still have remnants of the last storm in the yard,” said Paula Polasky.

Polasky is packing up and leaving because she doesn’t want to be there when the waves start crashing.

“The house was rocking for Nemo, but I’m not going to take any chances this time,” said Polasky. “I just told my boss, I said, ‘I am going to evacuate. I’d rather be safe than sorry.’”

Less than a month ago, the National Guard moved into Hull to evacuate people. Their trucks traveled over water covered roads and dodged ice chunks tossed around by a storm surge.

Emergency crews said Thursday night's high tide did minimal damage, but people on the coast won’t be in the clear until after the high tide on Friday morning.