A powerful bomb cyclone lashed the Cape overnight and continues to wreak havoc today.
(for overnight coverage click here)
(scroll down for new statement from Eversource).
West Barnstable Fire/CWN
8 AM update: The weather service has upgraded the coastal headlines to a Coastal Flood Warning from 3 PM to 7 PM. This comes after minor flooding in the morning tide like here along Route 6A near the Sandwich line in West Barnstable (above).
Dennis Police/CWN
Power outages have risen to 137,000 customers, the most this editor can remember in any recent storms. Eversource has extra utility crews but in many cases they are still waiting for the winds to abate before they can get in their bucket trucks. Local DPW tree crews are working to keep major streets open for fire and rescue responses. Numerous trees are down and in some area limbs were hurled like missiles as seen above in Dennis. It bears repeating to stay off the roads unless it is an emergency. Many roads are still impassible due to trees and motorists will only get in the way of repair crews.
10:00 AM update: Power outages continue to climb, now at 147k across the Cape.
11:00 AM update: Good news! The power outages have not risen since our last report. Winds are slowly diminishing so crews should hopefully be able to get to work in earnest sometime this afternoon. Eversource has multiple crews from other areas ready to go once it is safe to do so. Meanwhile daylight is revealing some of the damage. CWN’s Eric Christensen shows us normally busy Route 132 is closed by the Cape Codder due to a large tree and wires down (above). Eastham Police shared a view of some of the damage in their town (below).
1 p.m. update: A trailer (possibly a portable restroom) was blown over at Nauset Light Beach in Eastham. Lots of photos coming in so we are starting a slide show below (updated with Provincetown and Wellfleet photos.
News from Wareham: On Tuesday, October 26, at about 9:30 p.m. the Wareham Fire Department on-duty staff began to answer a series of calls related to the fall storm which was bearing down on the town. Captain Colin Kelley along with Firefighters Evan Moretti, Chris McIntosh, Dana Lofgren, and Joshua Dessert responded on multiple incidents being dispatched by Fire Alarm Operator Karen Metell.
During the height of the storm at about 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Captain Kelley ordered a full department recall of off-duty career and on-call firefighters to respond to their respective stations. At this point the department was fielding a large number of alarms and calls for service. These calls included live wires down, utility poles on fire, medical calls, trees down, fire alarms, and a structure fire.
Captain Mark Rogers remained at headquarters, and coordinated the responses of equipment and personnel, while Chief Matthew Rowley went to several of the incidents in the field. As of 2:30 p.m. the department has responded to over 100 calls during the storm and anticipate responding to several more before things begin to wind down.
Chief Rowley said, “While the department has remained busy during the storm, we have a very dedicated, highly trained staff prepared to serve the community.”
On Wednesday October 27, at 8:15 a.m., the Wareham Fire Department received a report from a resident of Holly Tree Lane that their garage was on fire. WFD Engine 2 was in the area on an unrelated call, and immediately responded to the address. Captains James Brandolini, Chris Smith, and Recruit Firefighter Will Oulette arrived in three minutes and found an active fire in a garage. The firefighters quickly extinguished the fire containing it to a back wall and ceiling area.
Several other firefighters responded to support the initial responding members. Chief Matthew Rowley served as the incident commander. An Onset Fire ladder truck was initially responding to assist, however, was returned because of the rapid knockdown of the fire.
The cause of the fire appears to be a generator that was in close contact with the rear wall of the garage. There were no injuries and there was no dollar estimate of damage.
BCREPC update: There is currently widespread damage and power outages across the region; several towns reported 80-90 MPH winds overnight.
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- Wind gusts of 50-60 mph are predicted to continue through the afternoon and are expected to decrease to 45-50 MPH gusts during the late afternoon and early evening.
- 30-40 MPH gusts will continue during the nighttime hours.
- The possibility of low to high-end moderate coastal flooding remains as we approach the afternoon high tide, predominantly in Cape Cod Bay.
UTILITIES RESPOND TO STORM
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- Eversource reports 152,000 outages Cape-wide, with a sole source circuit outage on the outer Cape resulting in whole-town outages for Truro and Provincetown.
- Eversource has 200-line crews staged on-Cape; a personal liaison has been assigned to each town to assess need and address outages as necessary.
- National Grid, Verizon, Comcast, and Open Cape are running critical sites via generator and responding to broken fiber issues that have led to localized service outages.
- Utilities are currently operating in “public safety mode,” which means clearing downed trees and opening roadways is prioritized ahead of power restoration.
MULTI-AGENCY COORDINATION CENTER IS FULLY ACTIVATED
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- The Barnstable County Multi-Agency Coordination Center (MACC) has assisted with town requests resources and information since activating at 4:00 PM yesterday. Representatives from Eversource, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Health and Medical Coordinating Coalitions (HMCC), and Meteorologist Frank O’Laughlin have been present throughout the storm event.
- Shelters continue to be on stand-by status. Regional shelters are equipped with generators. Emergency planning officials have been working to address sheltering needs as they arise, specifically concerning the potential for an extended outage.
- Note: there are six regional shelters in our region, and a map is available on bcrepc.org
THE PUBLIC IS URGED TO STAY OFF ROADS
The public is being urged to stay off the roads unless driving is necessary to allow clean-up and line crews to work quickly and efficiently. If you are experiencing a power outage, contact Eversource directly. Call 800-592-2000.
Tree crews working on Quinaquisset Avenue in Mashpee.
Eversource/CWN
Late Friday afternoon, Eversource issued the following statement: With the first Nor’easter of the season bringing strong winds and heavy rain to the commonwealth that caused significant, widespread destruction, hundreds of Eversource line, tree and service crews are assessing and clearing damage to make hard-hit areas safe and restore power to customers. Since the beginning of the storm, crews have restored power to more than 129,000 customers and will continue working around the clock until all approximately 260,000 customers across the state without power as of 2:00 pm have it back. With parts of Massachusetts still experiencing hazardous wind gusts from this nor’easter and the potential for additional outages, particularly along the South Shore and Cape, the energy company will need to continue damage assessment before a global restoration time is available.
“This Nor’easter brought roaring winds with gusts upwards of 90 miles per hour to Massachusetts, causing widespread damage and outages in every region of the state,” said Eversource Vice President of Electric Operations Bill Ritchie. “The electric system continues to take on damage, and once the winds subside and debris is cleared from the roadways, we will be able to complete our assessment and have a clearer idea about a restoration timeline. Additional out-of-state crews will be arriving to support this massive restoration effort tomorrow and Friday, and our dedicated employees will not stop working until all of our customers in the commonwealth have power.”
In addition to the thousands of line, tree and service workers, damage assessors, troubleshooters and other support staff currently focused on restoration efforts in Massachusetts, Eversource continues to secure additional out-of-state crews – including Eversource crews from Connecticut and New Hampshire once restoration is complete there – as well as from Canada, who will be arriving in Massachusetts through tomorrow and Friday. The crews arriving tomorrow are in addition to external crews that were secured in advance of the storm and have been working today.
Customers should be cautious when starting their own storm clean up – be careful moving or cutting tree limbs, look for any wires that may be entangled in debris, assume all downed wires are energized and report them immediately to 911. Customers who are without power and using a generator should be sure the generator is located well away from their home or business and that the transfer switch is working properly.
Also, flooding can cause damage to a home furnace or other natural gas appliances and some natural gas heating systems may be affected in the event of a power interruption. Customers who smell gas should leave their home immediately, call 911 from a safe place, and call 800-592-2000 in Eastern Massachusetts or 800-525-8222 for former Columbia Gas customers.
Eversource urges customers to always stay clear of any downed wires and to report them immediately to 911. Be sure to report any outage online at Eversource.com, or by calling 800-592-2000 in Eastern Massachusetts and 877-659-6326 in Western Massachusetts.
8 PM update: High tide came and went with no significant flooding reported. This was the scene as the east end of the Cape Cod Canal.
