It’s official, Boston broke its flooding record Thursday with the highest ever recorded tide since 1921.
The National Weather Service reported Boston set a new record of 4.88′ MHHW (or 15.16′ MLLW) on Jan. 4, 2018, beating out the previous record of 4.82′ MHHW (or 15.10′ MLLW), which was set during the Blizzard of ’78.
Boston streets saw the horrendous flooding in waterfront areas on Thursday as a bomb cyclone snowstorm wreaked havoc on the Northeast. By Friday, roads in the city and along the coast were a slushy, icy mess.
First responders were out in full force, helping people who were in peril due to icy floodwaters and the MBTA Aquarium Station was closed due to flooding. Photographs taken by the waterfront showed cars submerged in water and floodwaters lapping on sidewalks.
By Friday, several busy roads in Boston were covered in ice thanks to freezing temperatures, including Atlantic Avenue and parts of State Street. The same was true for coastal areas outside Boston, like Hull, Quincy and Scituate, and down through the Cape.
Crews were working Friday to clear the icy roads.
On Thursday, in response to a photo of a news reporter doing a live shot from atop a sheet of floating ice, the NWS warned people not to go out and “float on icebergs,” saying “This is a very dangerous situation along the coastline with major flooding ongoing, peoples homes & other infrastructure becoming inundated and damaged…”
We do not recommend going out and floating on icebergs; this is a very dangerous situation along the coastline with major flooding ongoing, peoples homes & other infrastructure becoming inundated and damaged; please observe should you have to from a safe location https://t.co/2rhMUEQJy6
Here’s @kathrynburcham showing why she’s the best in one the business, floating on an ice berg to provide updates .. @boston25 pic.twitter.com/iPJf9EUiv4
— Bill Sheerin (@AssignGuy) January 4, 2018
— Bill Sheerin (@AssignGuy) January 4, 2018
Residents shared images of the street flooding on social media.
Down by the aquarium, the water is coming up onto part of the harbor walk. “I’ve never seen anything close to this,” Rene Miller, a resident in a nearby building, said. “There was water over my boots, in the road.” (Also: dog out with owner) pic.twitter.com/uryAseE4kO
— Steven with a ph (@steveannear) January 4, 2018
Areas roped off on Atlantic Ave and some street flooding. Don’t have full details yet but fire crews walking with inflatable boat pic.twitter.com/bkakHbjrg0
— Steven with a ph (@steveannear) January 4, 2018
The parking lot behind the Chart House on Long Wharf (photo by Carty Castaldi): pic.twitter.com/Pkq0HBLlKl
— Adam Gaffin (@universalhub) January 4, 2018
Look at this video outside our window of flooding in #Boston historic #FortPoint #Seaport neighborhood that is causing big dumpsters to float down the street. #blizzard2018 @CNN @WCVB pic.twitter.com/mjfrZJYnKr
— kelkelly (@kelkelly) January 4, 2018
Great job! pic.twitter.com/ZzT37ifqYe
— Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) January 4, 2018
Flooding in Scituate, MA! (via Jill Pelo) pic.twitter.com/T9GTzhokls
— AndreaWBZ (@AndreaWBZ) January 4, 2018
Boston’s emergency parking ban was set to lift at 5 p.m. on Friday. Residents were required to have their sidewalks cleared of snow by 10:15 a.m. Friday. As for parking space savers, the city said residents have 48 hours to use an object to save a dug-out parking spot after a snow emergency has ended. After 48 hours, space savers must be removed, or residents will be ticketed. Space savers are not allowed in the South End.
