North Shore Nor'easter: Cancellations, Warnings Amid Wicked Storm

UPDATED: 5 p.m.

SALEM, MA — The two-day nor'easter bearing down on the North Shore has caused the cancellation of the Salem Ferry both Tuesday and Wednesday and has local Departments of Public Works asking residents to clear storm drains and take in any loose Halloween decorations.

While the weather may dampen some of the overwhelming crowds the city has seen in recent weeks, parking will still be at a premium and those traveling to the city for Halloween activities are asked to take public transportation.

The National Weather Service is forecasting wind gusts up to 60 and 70 miles per hour along the North Shore Tuesday night into early Wednesday with frequent gusts of 50 to 65 knots and rough seas offshore.

The high winds will go along with 2 to 4 inches of additional rain expected to fall on already saturated grounds — causing potential flooding in poor drainage areas and around sewers clogged with fallen leaves.

"After heavy rain, please monitor and clean nearby storm drains to prevent street flooding, property damage, and hazards to the traveling public," the Danvers DPW requested. "Stand on the curb and use a rake to clear leaves and debris."

Danvers residents should also look to take in barrels left out of trash as soon as possible on Tuesday afternoon and put out trash in the morning, if possible, for Wednesday pickup.

The Salem Department of Public Services issued a similar advisory.

Marblehead police are advising residents to keep cell phones charged in case of lost power. Those who do lose power are asked to contact the power company — not call 9-1-1.

Police should be called in the case of any downed limbs impeding traffic or power lines at the business line of 781-631-1212.

"Any wires that come down should be treated as live wires and should not be handled," Marblehead police urged.

The weather also caused the cancellation of the Salem free "Stop the Spread" coronavirus test site at Salem High School.

The Salem Armory Regional Visitor Center and Salem Maritime will be closed Wednesday because of the storm. Restrooms will not be open at either site. The city will provide portable toilets in the area.

Check back with Patch for updates throughout the storm and send any storm-related pictures — if it is safe to take them — to Scott Souza at scott.souza@patch.com for publication.