Governor, Swampscott Resident Prepares for First Weather Emergency

Longtime Swampscott resident and the state’s newest governor is warning residents to prepare themselves and make plans ahead of a potentially historic blizzard.

Charlie Baker was inaugurated as Massachusetts’ 72nd governor less than three weeks ago and now faces his first emergency as the state’s highest administrator. Forecasters are calling for as much as 36 inches of snow to fall in Swampscott and other areas of the state from Monday night through Wednesday morning.

“Unless forecasts change... people across Massachusetts should presume that roads on Tuesday, and possibly Wednesday, will be very hard, if not impossible, to navigate, that power outages are a distinct possibility, and that most forms of public transportation may not be available,” Baker said in a statement.

A Baker spokesman told the Boston Herald that Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito have begun planning for a “worst-case scenario” and that the governor would convene his Cabinet at the bunker.

As of 8:30 a.m., Monday, Baker had not yet closed the roads as his predecessor Deval Patrick did for a February 2013 storm that brought more than two feet of snow to much of the state.

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