The United States and Canada are preparing for heavy rainfall and strong winds, as Hurricane Lee moves across the Atlantic Ocean towards the north.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in a Friday morning advisory that Lee was expected to create a storm surge that could cause coastal flooding in parts of New England, including areas in the US states of New York and Massachusetts.
Maine is also under Hurricane Watch and Governor Janet Mills declared a state of emergency on Thursday.
“We continue to strongly urge Maine people – particularly those Downeast – to exercise caution and to take steps to ensure they have what they need to stay safe as the storm draws closer,” Mills wrote on social media.
In parts of Atlantic Canada under wind warnings, “a dangerous storm surge will produce coastal flooding”, the NHC said on Friday. “Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.”
At Boothbay Harbor Marina in Maine, the community came together to remove boats from the water to keep them out of harm’s way.
New Brunswick Minister of Public Safety Kris Austin urged residents to assemble a 72-hour safety kit that included batteries, water, food, medication, and a radio.
On Friday morning, Lee was whirling about 785km (490 miles) southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and moving away from Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 140kmph (85mph), according to the NHC.
