Updated November 9, 6 am.
Note to readers
The Steamship Authority’s suspension of service Thursday, November 8, means that the print edition of the Martha’s Vineyard Times will be delivered this morning, Friday, November 9.
The Steamship Authority’s Vineyard service is on schedule today, Friday, November 9. Standby is not available today.
The Steamship Authority suspended ferry service to the Vineyard completely Thursday, because of gale force wind and high seas.
A boatline statement explained, “The National Weather Service is predicting that high wind gusts are expected to continue into this evening before conditions improve overnight.”
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation stopped traffic Thursday morning along the causeway in Vineyard Haven near the temporary Lagoon Pond Drawbridge. High winds and waves were coming over the seawall, and the road was flooding near the Martha’s Vineyard Shipyard.
Later in the morning, the causeway was passable again, but many motorists opted to turn around, rather than try to drive through deep standing water in the roadway.
The road closing affected the Tisbury Emergency Medical Service, which had traveling a route along Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road to Barnes Road, to get to the hospital.
Tree limbs and trees
Police responded to many reports of fallen wires and tree limbs.
Tisbury police Chief Dan Hanavan warns motorists to avoid deep puddles, which can easily stall vehicles, or even ruin engines, if water gets into the engine’s air intake system.
All Steamship Authority ferry service is suspended this morning. The Chappaquiddick ferry is not operating, and the Patriot boat from Falmouth Harbor is also not operating.
Cape Air cancelled all scheduled flights on routes in the Northeastern U.S., up to 1 pm Thursday, and said it would reassess at that time.
Sea View Avenue in Oak Bluffs, and Beach Road between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown were closed last evening and for a time this morning, but were reopened about 9 am Thursday.
The National Weather Service forecasts high winds throughout the day and into the evening. A gale warning is in effect for marine interests until 7 pm
Meteorological stations in Vineyard Sound recorded a steady wind speed of 38 knots Thursday morning, with higher gusts. Conditions are forecast to improve gradually beginning this evening.