The snow and wind from the weekend’s winter storm knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of Bay State residents this weekend, but the while much of the state has had their electricity restored, residents in some areas are still waiting.
As of 10 am Monday morning, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reported that 116,000 were still without power – including 93,000 NSTAR customers, and 23,000 served by National Grid.
Spokesman for National Grid Fred Kuebler said that although the utility has restored power to over 90% of its customers, restoration work is now being heavily focused on the South Shore. Kuebler said that the wind and snow hindered access to many sites, but also damaged transmission lines which are keeping some without power.
On Friday, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick instituted a state-wide travel ban for all roads within the Commonwealth. Massachusetts Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Verseckes said that the ban helped keep the roads clear for 3,600 pieces of MassDOT snow removal equipment, as well as plow trucks in municipalities.
Fred Kuebler of National Grid said that the travel ban was critical for helping utility workers reach important access points.
The Western Massachusetts Electric Company, owned by Northeast Utilities, is sending crews from the Western portion of the state to its sister company, NSTAR. WMECO Vice President Bob Coates spoke to WAMC from the Northeast Utilities Command Center in Dartmouth…
While state offices reopened today, many school districts across the Commonwealth are closed or had delayed openings Tuesday due to inclement weather including freezing rain that affected much of the WAMC listening area in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is also touring some of the hardest hit areas today to meet with local officials in towns including Scituate, Marshfield, and South Yarmouth.
The State of Vermont also assisted Massachusetts with storm recovery by providing crews to clear snow to the neighboring state, after a request in compliance with the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.