WASHINGTON, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Streets in East Boston and nearby towns were flooded on Friday amid high winds and surging waves caused by the second windstorm dubbed a "bomb cyclone" wreaking havoc across the U.S. East Coast in two months.
"COASTAL FLOODING...#Boston reached its 3rd highest tide observed at 14.67 feet (since records began back in 1928); with the next high tide and 3-4 feet of surge forecast, expecting a crest at 14.9 feet with the high tide near midnight," U.S. National Weather Service in Boston tweeted.
"Take this storm seriously!" the service warned via Twitter on Friday morning. "This is a LIFE & DEATH situation for those living along the coast, especially those ocean-exposed shorelines."
Many roads were closed and the city government has advised people not to drive or walk in high water. Businesses owners piled sandbags in front of their stores to keep the water out while kayakers paddled down through streets normally filled with cars and bikes, said a CNN report.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said more than 160,000 customers had lost power statewide, as of 5 p.m. local time (2200 GMT) Friday.
In Weymouth, a city about 15 miles south of Boston, flood waters wrecked homes, resident John Eye told CNN.
"Many of my neighbors' houses are flooded and some of them destroyed with foundations that collapsed," he said.
"We cannot stress enough: this storm is shaping up to be more severe than the storm on 1/4," Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker tweeted. "If you live in an area that is told to evacuate, we strongly encourage you do so first thing Friday AM. Staying in homes that are in flood prone areas puts you & first responders at risk."
Only twice in the past 100 years has a high tide in Boston Harbor topped 15 feet, one in the 1978 blizzard and the other on Jan. 4 amid a savage storm that sent water sloshing through the streets of Beantown.
With the moon full, the tide is at its highest point of the month, CNN meteorologists said, noting more than 22 million Americans are now under a coastal flood warning.
The National Weather Service says strong winds are likely to remain throughout Friday and into Saturday.