Preparations underway in Winthrop as fears of flooding continue to rise

WINTHROP, Mass. — In a coastal community surrounded by water, it’s more water that has Winthrop residents concerned.

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“It totally concerns me because this is the lowest point on Shirley,” Hilary Hoyt said.

Hoyt owns Cove Convenience on Shirley Street, and during the nor’easter last week it was transformed into oceanfront property.

“People can’t stop talking about it,” Hoyt said. :Like, they’ve never seen anything like it before.”

The storm sent about two feet of water up Shirley Street with about a foot of water blocking the entrance to Hoyt’s store as buoys floated by.

And on Friday the concern isn’t the ocean, it’s the heavy rain headed our way.

“I mean, I have to get more sandbags because I lost three last week with everything,” Hoyt said.

She’s among the home and business owners in Winthrop adding sandbags around her entrance and working to get storm drains cleared.

Most had been clogged by snow, ice and debris during the nor’easter.

But coastal communities aren’t the only places where people have flooding concerns.

Crews have been out in force in Brockton making sure the city’s 6,000 storm drains are unclogged while working to widen the roads.

In the neighborhoods, homeowners pushed snow away from their foundations.

The National Weather Service is urging everyone to stay updated on the current forecast and to check sump pumps ahead of Friday’s rain.

Cox Media Group