FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Media Alert 003: Information from the Barnstable County Emergency Planning Committee (BCREPC) Hurricane Henri Update  

BCREPC Convened at 4:00 PM on Saturday August 21 to Review Hurricane Henri Updates and Regional Response Planning 

August 21, 2021 (Barnstable, MA) – The Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee (BCREPC), comprised of state, county, and local officials, first responders, emergency managers, elected officials, and other regional partners, met this morning to discuss the changes in storm guidance for Hurricane Henri.  The next meeting will take place on Sunday at 10:00 AM.

Henri continues to intensify and is now a 75mph hurricane.  It may continue to intensify until it reaches the cooler waters off the southern New England coast where steady weakening will ensue thereafter.

The timing on largest impact of storm force winds for our region is likely to begin early morning Sunday between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM, with peak winds in the late evening as Henri crosses the region’s latitude line. Sustained winds of 35-40 mph with gusts 55-60 mph are possible at the height of the storm. Surge values of 2-4 feet on the north side and 3-5 feet are still possible on the south. Tides will be astronomically high on Sunday and there is a potential for coastal flooding along the north and south side of Cape Cod, with the south side more likely to be more impacted. Check www.bcrepc.org for updates.

Steamship Authority reports all ferries running as scheduled today and will reassess the schedule on Sunday morning.

Nickerson State Park, Shawme-Crowell State Forest, Scussett Beach State Reservation, and Wellfleet Hollow State Campgrounds are closed during the storm. South Cape Beach in Mashpee will be closed this evening at 7:00 PM.

Preparations continue and are as followed:

• All utilities are poised and prepared for the storm, all with additional crews on the Cape and Islands able to handle storm related damage, if necessary.
• Shelter preparation continues to be on stand-by status and shelters. BCREPC will reassess during the storm/post-impact, and shelters will open, if necessary. The Medical Reserve Corps, Red Cross and the Salvation Army are on stand-by to help at shelters in the event they open. Note: there are 6 shelters in our region, and a shelter map is available on bcrepc.org.
• The Massachusetts Emergency Management EOC partially activated this morning and will be fully activated tomorrow at 7:00 AM.
• The Barnstable County Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) is currently on stand-by and anticipates fully activating Sunday morning at 8:00 AM, with hybrid support from partners. The MACC will be ready to help towns and local agencies with resources, information, and regional coordination during the storm. The MACC has sourced PPE in the event shelters need to be opened and have also sourced additional sandbags if towns require those.The public is strongly encouraged to prepare accordingly for the potential effects of Hurricane Henri. Personal preparedness tips and informational storm preparedness resources are provided at www.bcrepc.org. We encourage all resident and visitors to build a kit, plan, and stay informed.ABOUT BARNSTABLE COUNTY REGIONAL EMERGENCY PLANNING COMMITTEE: The Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee (BCREPC) is a coalition of law enforcement, fire service, health care, public health, public works, EMS, military, and numerous other affiliated agencies as outlined by the Massachusetts State Emergency Response Committee (SERC).  It represents the towns of Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Mashpee, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet, and Yarmouth in Barnstable County, and the town of Nantucket in Nantucket County. The mission of the BCREPC is to harness the power of planning, cooperation, and interoperability to assist Cape Cod communities to mitigate the threat from any hazard which may require the response of multiple jurisdictions.

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