By DAVID SHARP and PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press
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PORTLAND, Maine — 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 on Thursday declared a state of emergency, and the state was under its first hurricane watch in 15 years. The water-logged region prepared for 20-foot (6-meter) waves offshore and wind gusts up to 70 mph (112 kph), along with more rain.

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Eastern Maine was under the hurricane watch while the rest of the state and an area extending south through Massachusetts were under a tropical storm warning. Powerful winds were expected to arrive late Friday in southern New England.

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

Some people used the storm as an opportunity to put their boats into storage on land, bringing an abrupt end to the summer boating season, said John Lusty, owner of York Harbor Marine in York.

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.