Power disruptions continue across the region, with shelters experiencing an influx of seniors and vulnerable residents.
Severe winds swept through Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts on Monday, resulting in downed tree branches, damaged power lines, and the disruption of internet and cell services. The inclement weather also led to hazardous snowdrifts, trapping residents in their homes.
As the aftermath of the storm became evident Tuesday morning, certain areas of Barnstable County reported up to 37 inches of snowfall, impacting hundreds of thousands of customers with power outages. Concerned relatives took to social media, seeking assistance in reaching their elderly family members.
Many residents sought information on available resources for digging out or inquired about the operational status of local gas stations and grocery stores.
“The situation feels just as severe as a hurricane due to the cold conditions,” stated MaryAnn Ryan from Elder Services of Cape Cod and the Islands. “There are branches and power lines down everywhere.”
With approximately 6,000 members, primarily older adults in precarious health, unable to leave their homes, Ryan expressed concern over their access to groceries, medical care, and essential medications as they await assistance to clear the snow.
Ryan urged those reliant on oxygen or needing urgent medical care to reach out to first responders for support and transportation to shelters. “Do not attempt to ride out this storm alone,” she advised.
Regional Update
On Tuesday morning, first responders, safety officials, and community leaders shared updates during a regional coordination conference call.
Emergency shelters and warming centers, some of which had already reached full capacity, are actively opening in response to the crisis.
The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority is facilitating transportation for residents and their pets to local shelters. Additionally, they are collaborating with the Family Table Collaborative to deliver food supplies to these facilities.
The Provincetown Community Center turned a warming center into a shelter for 40 individuals last night, but is quickly running out of space, noted town manager Alex Morse during the call. “If power outages continue for the next couple of days, the situation will only worsen, and the demand for services will escalate,” he remarked.
Andrew Platt from the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment confirmed that additional cots and food supplies are en route to the shelters. Morse highlighted that some residents seeking shelter are dependent on oxygen and have other health issues.
Health Services
Outer Cape Health Services, which serves areas from Harwich to Provincetown, is currently non-operational as they await power restoration.
CEO Damian Archer shared that without power or internet access, they are unable to provide medications. “Prolonged outages will inevitably lead to an increased demand for medical attention as individuals with chronic conditions begin to exhaust their medications,” he said. “We cannot sustain this for more than two days without significant medical emergencies arising.”
In cases of critical medical need, affected individuals are being transported to Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, where power has been restored to the main building as of Tuesday morning.
Power Updates
As of Tuesday morning, Eversource spokesperson Ronit Goldstein reported that over 156,000 customers were still without power, with more than 14,000 outages logged as public safety incidents, such as downed wires, across the county. Eversource has dispatched 900 crews to the Cape in response.
“This is a significant event with extensive damage,” Goldstein remarked. “The amount of snow residents are digging out from under is evident.”
Goldstein anticipates that power restoration may extend until Thursday. As services gradually return, internet and cell connectivity will also improve. A Verizon representative noted that while a generator is powering the main sites, some support poles remain down. Meanwhile, AT&T has reported that nearly all its towers in Barnstable are non-operational, and Xfinity is working diligently to restore internet services coinciding with power recovery.
“The scale of the task at hand is significant,” Goldstein remarked. “There is a tremendous amount of work required to restore normalcy.”
Chief Editor of Quincy City Beat — Quincy, MA's independent investigative newspaper covering Greater Boston and the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts with fearless public accountability and free access for all readers.
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