Storm News

Tropical Storm Philippe hammered Woods Hole all last night and today with sad results out on Great Harbor where a fishing boat broke loose from the town dock and swept two house rafts off their moorings onto the beach.  Sustained winds of about 40 mph were observed, with highs at 60 mph clocked at Nobska Lighthouse and mid 70’s out on the Vineyard.  Ferries were cancelled all morning due to the high winds, and the coffee shops of Woods Hole were abuzz with all the storm news — gossip of tree limbs, roads blocked, cars obliterated.

By late afternoon the winds has subsided somewhat, and marine salvage experts were working with dive gear to get the stranded fishing vessel off the sand and back into deeper water.  Wind continued to drive into Great Harbor from the south with crews racing against the dusky end of day, making it difficult to imagine the situation will be resolved this evening.

Many of Woods Hole’s year-rounders were clustered around the spectacle, hushed voices shared concern.  “Not sure how well lashed she was,” one person remarked of the large metal hulled fishing boat.  “Fog just upgraded that raft this season,” clucked another.

As the sun set and clouds raced across a newly blue sky, locals wandered back to bail their dinghies then off to warm kitchens and more talk of storm news over suppertime, the end of another stormy day on Cape Cod.

At the height of the storm mid morning, it was raining and the sun was out.  White caps were bursting across Eel Pond as the boats moored there quivered and dove on their moorings.  A huge flock of cormorants was clustered in the middle of the pond, and at certain points they dove through the waves fishing for minnows.  Here is a snippet of video from this exciting day of storm news: