Weather
Weekend Storm Closes Salem's Derby Wharf Indefinitely
There are no immediate cost estimates to repair the damage, which has made the popular walkway unsafe for visitors.
SALEM, MA -- Even as power is restored, flood water recede and limbs get cleaned up, this weekend's rain and wind storm will have one very noticeable effect for the foreseeable future. Derby Wharf, one of the city's most popular tourist destinations, has been closed indefinitely. Destination Salem, the city's tourism arm, said the storm created hazardous conditions that make it unsafe for the public to walk the length of the wharf to Derby Light.
A post on Destination Salem's Twitter account did not offer a detailed assessment of the damage, the cost to repair the wharf, or how the repairs would be paid for.
Construction on Derby Wharf began in 1762 by one of Salem's earliest and wealthiest merchants, Richard Derby Sr. The wharf eventually reached its current length of half a mile to become Salem's longest wharf and at one point had 20 structures on it, according to the National park Service. Derby Light Station was added to the end of the wharf and first lit in 1871.
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While not as bad as the January 4 storm in terms of storm surge, Fridays rain and winds followed by Saturday's wind gusts left parts of Salem flooded. The storm knocked down trees and caused length power outages throughout the northeast. Throughout the day on Friday and into Saturday, multiple Salem streets were closed as crews worked to remove downed trees.
Derby Wharf was underwater during high tides throughout the storm. That flooding, as well as hurricane-strength wind gusts, caused damage on the wharf. And now weather forecasters say Salem and the rest of the northeast may just be experiencing a breather between rounds of damaging weather: Up to a foot of snow is expected for much of Massachusetts as a midweek nor'easter follows last week's historic storm.
Find out what's happening in Salemfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
As of March 5, 2018, Derby Wharf is closed indefinitely. Damage and erosion from Winter Storm Riley has created hazardous conditions making it unsafe for the public to travel along the wharf to Derby Light. @SalemMaritime #SalemMa https://t.co/s6m7dLDXzI pic.twitter.com/gjcwmjKrQm
— Destination Salem MA (@DestSalem) March 5, 2018
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Photo by Destination Salem.
Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).
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