Tropical Storm Elsa: Flooding Closes Bridge Street In Salem

UPDATED: 11:45 a.m.

SALEM, MA — Salem police closed parts of Bridge Street because of high water levels from Tropical Storm Elsa late Friday morning as the eye of the storm approached landfall near Cape Cod.

"Please do not drive past any barricades," Salem police and the Department of Public Words said. "Seek alternate routes where roads are closed."

A flash flood warning was extended into parts of the North Shore Friday morning.

The flash flood warning was extended through Salem, Marblehead and Swampscott about 9:30 a.m. on Friday and was expected to include most of eastern New England by late morning.

Minor power outages were reported in Swampscott and Salem — areas hard hit by thunderstorms earlier this week — with 1,983 outages reported statewide as of 10 a.m.

The free, drive-thru coronavirus testing site in Salem was closed for the day because of the expected heavy rain.

Marblehead Harbormaster Mark Souza urged residents along the coastline on Thursday to secure any boats, kayaks, canoes and other watercraft that could easily drift into the ocean in a storm and cause alarm there might be a missing boater.

(More Patch Coverage: North Shore Braces For Tropical Storm Elsa Impact Friday Morning)

Departments of Public Works crews in Salem and Danvers asked residents to clear storm drains to allow for more water runoff in the event of severe downpours at the height of Friday's storm.

Heaviest winds and rains were expected through the morning and into the early afternoon — with some possible peeks of sun by early evening.

(If you witness storm damage on the North Shore, and it is safe to take pictures, send them to Scott.Souza@patch.com for publication.)