Thousands Lose Power In Nor'easter
BOSTON (CBS/AP) – The heavy, wet, wind-blown snow caused massive power outages across southeastern Massachusetts, especially in Plymouth County.
According to Gov. Deval Patrick, 100,000 customers had no electricity as of noon Wednesday.
That was reduced to 80,000 two hours later by the state Emergency Management Agency.
By 11 p.m. Wednesday evening, restoration efforts continued, with 10,000 customers reporting no electricity.
National Grid reported 75,000 customers at the height of the storm without power late in the morning, more than half in Plymouth County, with the Bridgewater area the hardest hit, including Halifax and Pembroke.
According to Chris Root, National Grid senior vice president of Electricity Operations, the vast majority of customers still in the dark can expect their power back by Thursday afternoon.
Bridgewater bore the brunt of power outages in the region, and resident Donna Robinson spoke with WBZ-TV's Beth Germano while using a crank radio to get weather updates. "It's dropped a good ten to fifteen degrees during the course of the day," said Robinson.
Thousands in Plymouth County will remain cold overnight- WBZ-TV's Beth Germano reports
Officials opened an emergency shelter at a local middle school in Bridgewater. Police Lt. Thomas Schlatz said they'd referred some elderly residents to the shelter, after they called with concerns about limited back-up battery power on their oxygen tanks.
WBZ-TV's Paul Burton reports from an emergency shelter
WBZ-TV's Peg Rusconi talks to residents without power
A spokesman for MEMA says central and western Massachusetts are getting more snow, but the lighter powder isn't causing as many outages.
National Grid spokesman David Graves told WBZ-TV they have 600 crews working across eastern Massachusetts in the storm.
(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
