Days of wild weather that produced torrential rain, flooding, sinkholes and a tornado in New England could be a prelude to something more dangerous lurking offshore — Hurricane Lee.

As the Category 1 system swirled southwest of Bermuda, Maine Gov. Janet Mills declared a state of emergency on Thursday, and the state was under its first hurricane watch in 15 years. The water-logged region prepared for 20-foot (6-meter) waves and wind gusts up to 70 mph (112 kph), along with more rain.

A dangerous storm surge was projected for Friday evening for Massachusetts’ Cape Cod Bay and Nantucket Island, while the brunt of the storm was to arrive early Saturday.

Although Lee did not contribute to the recent flooding, it threatened to exacerbate conditions in a region that is already much too wet.

The Coast Guard and emergency management agencies warned New England residents to be prepared, and utility companies brought in reinforcements to deal with power outages. At Boothbay Harbor Marina in Maine, the community came together to remove boats from the water to keep them out of harm’s way.

“It’s a batten-down-the-hatches kind of day,” owner Kim Gillies said Thursday.

Similar scenes played out at Kennebunkport Marina, where crews planned to take 100 boats out of the water, said Cathy Norton, marina manager.

Commercial lobster fisherman Steve Train said fishermen have been sinking gear in deeper water to protect against storm damage. Fishing boats were also headed to the safety of harbors.

In Canada, where the remnants of Hurricane Fiona a year ago washed houses into the ocean, knocked out power to most of two provinces and swept a 72-year-old woman into the sea, residents of western Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick were warned to prepare for power outages and flooding this weekend.

New Brunswick Minister of Public Safety Kris Austin urged residents to assemble a 72-hour safety kit that included batteries, water, food, medication and a radio.

In her emergency declaration on Thursday, the governor urged people to take the storm seriously and to make preparations. Mills, a Democrat, also asked President Joe Biden to issue a preemptive presidential disaster declaration to give the state access to federal resources.

Earlier in the week, the region saw 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain over six hours. Tornado warnings were posted Wednesday for communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and more heavy rain opened up sinkholes and brought devastating flooding to several areas.

The National Weather Service in Boston confirmed Thursday that damage to trees and power lines in Rhode Island and Connecticut the day before was consistent with a tornado. In Lincoln, Rhode Island, photos taken after the storm showed that at least one roof was damaged, and the press box at the high school stadium tipped into the bleachers.

At midday Thursday, Lee was spinning 245 miles (395 kilometers) southwest of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was traveling north on a path that could lead to landfall in Nova Scotia, possibly as a tropical storm, forecasters said.

The system threatened to bring a mixed bag of threats. Ocean waves as tall as 20 feet could lash the coast, damaging structures and causing erosion; powerful wind gusts could knock down trees weakened by a wet summer; and rain could cause flash flooding in a region where the soil is already saturated, said Louise Fode, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Maine.

The State’s eastern coast — known as the Down East region — and the coast of Nova Scotia was expected to bear the brunt of the storm, though the track could shift before the system arrives, Fode said.

One thing working in the region’s favor: The storm surge will not be accompanied by an astronomical high tide, helping to lower the risk, she said.

New England has experienced its share of flooding this summer, including a storm that dumped up to two months of rain in two days in Vermont in July, resulting in two deaths. Scientists are finding that storms around the world are forming in a warmer atmosphere, making extreme rainfall more frequent.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey issued a state of emergency late Tuesday following “catastrophic flash flooding and property damage” in two counties and other communities. The torrential downpour in a six-hour period was a “200-year event,” said Matthew Belk, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boston.

The State is monitoring the conditions of dams, the governor said, and she urged residents to stay off the roads when ordered.

The rain created several sinkholes in Leominster, Massachusetts, including one at a car dealership where several vehicles were swallowed up. In Providence, Rhode Island, downpours flooded a parking lot and parts of a shopping mall. Firefighters used inflatable boats to rescue more than two dozen people stranded in cars.

Looking ahead, the hurricane watch for Maine extended from Stonington to the Canadian border. The last time a hurricane watch was declared in Maine was in 2008, for Hurricane Kyle.

Meanwhile, a tropical storm watch was in effect from Stonington south to Watch Hill, Rhode Island. That includes Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

In Maine, residents often boast about being accustomed to rough weather. Lee’s projected wind, rain and surf are akin to a powerful Nor’easter, and people are familiar with those.

The Portland Sea Dogs, a minor league baseball team, moved its fan appreciation day to Friday because of the weather forecast. But the club had no plans to cancel its game on Saturday despite the storm.

This satellite image provided by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Lee, right, in the Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 8, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

Hurricane Lee barreled Sunday through open waters just northeast of the Caribbean, unleashing heavy swell on several islands as it restrengthened.

The Category 3 storm is not forecast to make landfall and is expected to stay over open waters through Friday. On late Sunday afternoon, it was centered about 285 miles (455 kilometers) north-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands. It had winds of up to 120 mph (195 kph) and it was moving west-northwest at 8 mph (13 kph).

Last week, Lee strengthened from a Category 1 storm to a Category 5 storm in just one day.

“We had the perfection conditions for a hurricane: warm waters and hardly any wind shear,” said Lee Ingles, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in San Juan.

Lee is expected to strengthen further in upcoming days and will then weaken again, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Breaking waves of up to 20 feet (6 meters) were forecast for Puerto Rico and nearby islands starting early this week, with authorities warning people to stay out of the water. Coastal flooding also was expected for some areas along Puerto Rico’s north coast and the eastern portion of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the National Weather Service in San Juan.

The National Hurricane Center noted that dangerous surf and rip currents were expected to hit most of the U.S. East Coast starting Sunday, but that the hurricane’s impact beyond that is still unclear.

“It is way too soon to know what level of impacts, if any, Lee might have along the U.S. East Coast, Atlantic Canada, or Bermuda, especially since the hurricane is expected to slow down considerably over the southwestern Atlantic.” the center said.

Lee was forecast to take a northward turn by Wednesday. However, its path after that remained unclear.

“Regardless, dangerous surf and rip currents are expected along most of the U.S. East Coast this week as Lee grows in size,” the center said.

Lee is the 12th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 and peaked on Sunday.

Tropical Storm Margot became the 13th named storm after forming Thursday evening, but was far out in the Atlantic and posed no threat to land. It was located about 1,175 miles (1,895 kilometers) west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands on Sunday. Its winds had risen to 65 mph (100 kph) and it was forecast to strengthen into a hurricane on Monday. It was moving north-northwest at 9 mph (15 kph).

The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration in August forecast between 14 and 21 named storms this season. Six to 11 of them are expected to become hurricanes, and of those, two to five might develop into major hurricanes.

In the Pacific, Jova weakened to a remnant low as it whirled over open waters far from Mexico’s southwest coast and posed no threat to land.

It was about 1,135 miles (1,830 kilometers) west of the southern tip of Baja California on Sunday and moving northwest at 8 mph (13 kph) with winds up to 35 mph (55 kph).