As Hurricane Lee churned closer to coastal New England on Friday, with winds expected to intensify by nightfall, cruise ships sought refuge in Portland, Maine, and homeowners in Provincetown, Mass., piled sandbags. An arborist in Halifax, Nova Scotia, fielded dozens of calls from residents expecting tree damage. Yet, like others in a region accustomed to powerful nor’easters, if not hurricanes, Mr. Crobar was not particularly fazed by what was coming. “We like to sensationalize the weather, but it’s just a natural part of the earth,” he said. The storm was expected to make landfall in the Canadian province of New Brunswick late on Saturday, but forecasters said its sprawling size meant that severe effects would be felt in New England, too.

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Persons: Lee, John Crobar, Crobar, ” Locations: New England, Portland , Maine, Provincetown, Mass, Halifax , Nova Scotia, Sandwich, Cape Cod, Canadian, New Brunswick