Seaside residents talk preparations for impending Hurricane Lee
NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (WLNE) — With Hurricane Lee set to impact parts of New England, many people are preparing for the storm and what it may bring.
The western portion of Hurricane Lee is expected to brush southern New England on Saturday. Most of the storm predicted to impact coastal Massachusetts, especially Cape Cod and the Islands.
For fishermen, storms like Lee require a lot of attention.
“They are full of anxiety. It is sleepless nights for the owners of the boats, there is a lot to think about in storm preparation,” said Richard Fuka, a member of the Rhode Island fisherman alliance.
The question of where the path of the storm ends up creating the most stress for fishermen.
“I think about the logistics — What it means for the state of Rhode Island, the Port of Galilee, and for myself being a fisherman for 40 years. The anxiety of having to worry about the boat, if we are taking a direct hit, what is going to happen with the tides and tidal surges. It weighs heavy on fishermen on where the storm is going to end up,” Fuka added.
For events like the Newport International Boat Show, their hope is to not be impacted by the storm.
“Safety is the number one priority for everyone. We would be assessing the forecast throughout the day Friday and then assess what our plans would be for the next day at that time,” explained Lisa Knowles, director of the show.
Gov. McKee also announced that his team is actively working to ensure the state is ready for an emergency response.
Local surfers said they don’t plan on letting inclement weather stop them.
“[During the] last storm parking lots were packed with a lot of people that were pretty stoked so good times out there,” said James Jurgens, a surfer in Narragansett.
“It is an exciting time. The ocean brings a lot of energy and there is certainly a lot of power from the wind and the waves,” Jurgens continued.
