Cape Cod, Islands Brace For Beach Erosion, Flooding

NANTUCKET (CBS)  -- The island of Nantucket was the first part of Massachusetts to feel the storm effects of Tropical Storm Jose.

Up until the rain started falling on Tuesday, those that stayed on the island were preparing to try and limit the impact.

Some downtown shops are taking precautions by placing sandbag piles outside.

Joe Conway was doing the same at the Nantucket Bike Shop.

"We're definitely going to get two to three feet of water out here," he said. "So we're preparing, getting everything blocked in, getting all of our equipment up to the second floor, and things like that because it will flood over here."

Waves could reach 10-20 feet and wind gusts could be up to 60 miles.

"Everyone was at the Stop and Shop yesterday getting everything, they were out of bread and eggs," said resident Diane Bastarche. "Everybody runs but what are you going to do? It's an island."

Even while some full-time residents were taking ferries out, others were coming in.

Elsa May traveled to Nantucket for her honeymoon.

"We wanted to enjoy our week and we're not going to cancel it. Storm or no storm, we're going to ride with it and we're going to have a great time," May said.

WBZ-TV found that a few travelers buying ferry tickets in Hyannis had the same idea.

"I'm determined. Storm or no storm I'm going," said Barbara Tupper from Seattle.

Many, though, were playing it safe, like Karen Dolan and Bev Hempel who were traveling with a group from Canada.

"We don't know what to expect but we are with a group and they are taking care of us," Dolan said.

"We're adjusting our vacation, we were contending to go to Nantucket today but instead we are coming inland. Weathering the storm," Hempel explained.

Ferry officials are keeping a close eye on the waters to see when they should stop services.

"Safety is always the number one issue and we're just trying to operate the vessels as safely as possible," said Jerry Poyant from Hi-Line Cruises.

Over in Chatham, tropical storm warning flags were flying.

Fresh sand was strategically dumped around beaches to mitigate the storm's impact.

Ted Keon is Chatham's Natural Resources official. He said that over the years, storms have taken entire houses into the ocean and changed the beach.

"The 87 inland is starting to shut down. It's getting narrower and narrower," Keon said. "Vessels, principally our fishing fleet is not able to get out as they used to be."

For many, storms and erosion go hand and hand.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports