MIDCOAST — Another wind/rain event in a long line of recent storms is predicted to be especially heavy-handed, but this one, due to arrive overnight Thursday into Friday, comes with plenty of warning. According to Rockland’s interim harbor master Molly Eddy, many boat owners are hauling their vessels, and preparing well for bad weather.

All week, the approaching storm has been the weather topic, as gusty winds are predicted and two to three inches of rain are expected to swamp the region. Just last weekend, another wind, rain event passed through, as did two or three previous storms (we’re losing track of exactly how many, now).

This latest storm is to bring gusty winds up to 65 mph and much rain; unfortunately it is all to coincide with 12-foot high tide, the highest of all December.

With the winds blowing out of the east, harbors such as Rockland, Lincolnville, Owls Head, outer Camden Harbor will be exposed to harsh conditions.

“Mostly everybody is hauling their boat out, and taking precautions, which is great,” said Eddy. “I am very appreciative of that. Rockland has already dealt with four boats that have either sunk or grounded out this fall. So far they have all been taken care of.”

Governor Janet Mills and the Maine Emergency Management Agency are urging Maine to prepare for rain, high winds, coastal flooding, and freezing temperatures.

The National Weather Service reports that beginning late Thursday, heavy rain and snow melt in western Maine will lead to potential widespread flooding with numerous road closures possible.

Precipitation will begin as snow in the mountains before changing to rain late Friday morning.

Snowmelt south of the mountains will lead to widespread minor flooding during the day on Friday with potential river flooding lasting into the weekend. Erosion is possible along the coast with potential damage to roads on exposed low-lying shorelines.

High winds with gusts of up to 60 mph could damage trees, power lines, and property. Widespread power outages are likely. Temperatures will drop sharply Friday night into Saturday morning, making for unsafe driving conditions on Saturday due to flash freeze along roadways.

Maine people are encouraged to stay tuned to alerts and warnings through media or by downloading the free FEMA app on their smart phone, which provides targeted preparedness information, alerts and warnings for specific areas.

With strong winds also in the forecast, Maine people should remove objects in their yard that could become airborne, such as holiday decorations, shovels, and garbage cans on decks and porches.

If you observe a downed power line, report it to your utility company. Citizens are reminded to never touch a downed power line or a tree in contact with a downed line. Motorists should slow down or change lanes when approaching utility crews working on roadways.

Warming Centers are opening in several Maine counties. Visit MEMA’s website to find a location near you: https://www.maine.gov/mema/response-recovery/mass-care.

You may also dial 2-1-1 or visit their website for a list of locations.Be sure that alternate heat and power sources are in proper working condition, properly installed, and that you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. If you are using a portable space heater, please keep the following safety tips in mind:

Keep combustible objects at least three feet away from portable heating devices.

Only buy heaters evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

Check to make sure the portable heater has a thermostat control mechanism and will switch off automatically if the heater falls over.

Only use crystal clear K-1 kerosene in kerosene heaters. Never overfill it. Use the heater in a well-ventilated room away from curtains and other flammable items.

For further tips or resources on heating during the winter months, visit the Winter Heating Guide produced by the Governor’s Energy Office.

Central Maine Power advises:

We’re preparing for gusty winds and torrential rains across our service area Thursday night and into Friday, December 23. Given the forecasted wind and rain, we are anticipating wide-spread outages, so our storm team is proactively pre-staging line workers and tree crews across our service area ahead of the storm to be able to respond as quickly as possible.

Current forecasts call for 2-3” of rain and strong winds with gusts predicted to be as high as 60 mph. We expect these conditions will cause outages and all of us at CMP are committed to working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power as we enter the holiday weekend.

Please take a moment to consider what you can do to be prepared.  We offer safety tips and other resources below.

Be Prepared: Keep battery-operated flashlights and radios on hand, along with supplies of drinking water and non-perishable foods. Also, ensure that you fill your car’s fuel tank.

Downed Wires - no line is safe to touch, ever!  Stay at least 30 feet away from downed wires and report them to CMP at 800.696.1000.

Be in Charge: Charge your phone, your portable chargers and any other chargeable devices in case your power goes out.

Sign up for MyAccount to manage CMP account preferences all in one place.

Sign up for Outage Alerts to stay informed and receive automatic text, email or voice message updates regarding your outage. CMP will notify you if the power is out at your location, when an estimated time of restoration is determined, and when power is restored.