'We Got Our Butts Kicked' By Blizzard, Sandwich Fire Chief Says
SANDWICH (CBS) -- Tuesday's blizzard left many in Sandwich and other Cape Cod towns with countless tree limbs on the ground, without any power, and surrounded by snow.
"We got our butts kicked," said Sandwich Fire Chief William Carrico. "It was blizzard-like conditions for a good 10 hours, progressively getting worse at certain points in the day. We tried to keep up. I had 16 people on duty, we were running all over town."
As of 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday, 65 % of Sandwich was without power, according to Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). At one point, 90% of the town was in the dark.
More than 200,000 across the state lost power during the blizzard.
This time around, the main concern during the storm was not coastal flooding, but strong winds. Gusts reached up to 60 mph.
In front of Tom Keyes' house, a large tree came crashing down, bringing down power lines with it.
"It just looked like Armageddon coming down in front of the house," said Keyes. "Power's been out ever since, obviously, they shut down the road so you can't even plow it. It's kind of a mess."
There was no school in Sandwich Wednesday, the high school was used as an emergency shelter instead.
For that, Grace Deschenes is grateful.
"This was nice instead of sitting in my bedroom freezing under five loads of blankets and not getting warm. This made a big difference, it's like a big family," she said.
Deschenes estimated about 70 people stayed at the shelter overnight.
Another round of cleanup was underway Wednesday.
Eversource said while their crews were out clearing trees and restoring power throughout the night, power might not be fully restored for days.
Other hard-hit communities include Falmouth, Bourne, Barnstable, and Mashpee.
Keyes summed up what many on the Cape are likely thinking at this point in the season.
"It is getting old," he said.