State and federal officials arrived at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency bunker in Framingham by 6 a.m. Thursday to begin monitoring a winter storm that is expected to bring 12 to 18 inches of snow to Eastern Massachusetts.
Representatives of about 18 government agencies, including the National Guard, the Department of Public Health and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, are stationed in the State Emergency Operations Center here.
Forecasts predict wind gusts of 45 to 75 mph and snowfall rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour, as well as a storm surge of 2 to 4 feet that could cause flooding in coastal Plymouth County, near Sandwich and Dennis.
State officials are asking residents to contact their own municipalities with storm-related issues. But MEMA is also operating a hotline in partnership with the United Way that can be reached by calling 211.
Residents are also encouraged to install the "Massachusetts Alerts" phone application for iPhones and Androids, to get location-specific updates from the National Weather Service.
Gov. Charlie Baker and other top state officials were scheduled to address the media from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation headquarters in Boston at 8 a.m.
Return here for more information as it develops.