Press Release  Governor Healey Provides Update on Storm Recovery Efforts

Boston — Governor Maura Healey is providing an update on blizzard recovery efforts across the state, particularly in Southeastern Massachusetts. The state of emergency remains in effect for all counties except for Berkshire, Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin. 

At the direction of Governor Healey, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) requested out-of-state mutual aid to support snow removal operations on municipal roadways. Snow removal crews and equipment from Vermont arrived yesterday and from New York overnight. The Vermont Agency of Transportation sent approximately 30 vehicles, a mix of front-end loaders and dump trucks. More than 30 Vermont employees got to work on Tuesday in towns across Southeastern Mass, with more towns set to receive assistance this week. The New York State Thruway Authority, New York State Department of Transportation and New York Power Authority have deployed more than 50 pieces of equipment, including front end loaders, dump trucks and snow clearing machinery. MassDOT has deployed over 3,000 pieces of state and vendor equipment.

Joseph Foti, MassDOT Highway Chief of Operations & Maintenance, has been designated to lead the snow removal efforts in Southeastern Massachusetts. He will be working with MEMA and local officials to clear streets as quickly and safely as possible.

MEMA Local Coordinators have made outreach to every city and town in the eastern region to assess needs and deploy available resources, and the agency has hosted daily statewide calls to ensure coordination among local emergency management directors since before the storm. 

National Guard service members continue to assist with snow and debris removal and route clearance efforts, with the majority of support provided by Military Police, Engineer, and Transportation units to help restore safe access and normal operations across affected communities.

“Lieutenant Governor Driscoll and I saw firsthand how folks across Southeastern Mass are still feeling the impacts of this storm and there is a lot more work to be done,” said Governor Healey. “I appreciated the opportunity to thank many of the officials who are working around the clock to remove snow and support our communities, while also hearing directly from local officials and residents about what additional resources are needed. I’m also grateful for the support of Governor Hochul and Governor Scott who have sent crews and equipment to help. We are all in this together, and we will get through it.”

A number of communities, including New Bedford, Fall River, Brockton and others, still have local travel restrictions and parking bans which remain in place. Residents are advised to use caution on the roads as there are still icy, snow-covered and slushy conditions.

With the support of additional out-of-state resources, including more than 2,000 line, tree and service crew workers as well as other operations personnel, the number of customers without power is approximately 152,000 as of 1 p.m. Wednesday and continues to decline.

Department of Transportation

Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) crews responded to this storm with approximately 3,000 pieces of equipment on state roadways. Equipment was redeployed Monday afternoon and evening to the South Coast to assist municipalities responding to extraordinary levels of snowfall.  

Statewide storm cleanup will continue this week, as crews complete snow removal on interstate highways and secondary and local roads. Motorists should expect to encounter snow removal equipment on the roads and are advised to allow for extra travel time. Motorists are encouraged to use caution, particularly at intersections, ramps, and along breakdown lanes. 

All Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) customer service centers will be open today. All customer service appointments are on schedule. Road tests for passenger vehicles that are scheduled could be impacted if the local road conditions are not safe. For today, the RMV will waive road test appointment cancellation fees should any customer not be able to travel to a customer service location. Commercial vehicle skills testing is on schedule. The RMV has added appointments on Saturday for the offices open on Saturdays. For additional information on services and to make appointments, please visit: mass.gov/RMV.

For more information on traffic conditions, travelers are encouraged to:    

• Download the Mass511 mobile app or visit www.mass511.com to view live cameras, travel times, real-time traffic conditions, and project information before setting out on the road. Users can subscribe to receive text and email alerts for traffic conditions.        
• Dial 511 and select a route to hear real-time conditions.   
• Follow @MassDOT on X, (formerly known as Twitter), to receive regular updates on road and traffic conditions.  
• Check local guidance. Many municipalities, including Boston, have issued parking bans.

MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) resumed regular weekday service today across the system, with the exception of the Fall River/New Bedford Line, which will operate on a modified weekday schedule. 

Clean-up efforts are ongoing and the MBTA still encourages riders to plan extra time into their commutes. Riders are asked to exercise caution on platforms and when boarding and exiting vehicles as wet and slippery conditions will persist.  

MBTA riders are encouraged to subscribe to T-Alerts, download the MBTA Go app, and follow the MBTA on X @MBTA, @MBTA_CR, and @MBTA_CR_Alerts for up-to-date service information.    

Riders may also find helpful: how to report bus stops in need of snow removal.    

Massport 

Flights have resumed at Boston Logan and Worcester Regional airports, though there still may be delays. Passengers should check with their airline for flight status before coming to the airport and give yourself extra time to get to and from the airport safely.

Department of Public Utilities 

The DPU continues to remain in close communication with the Electric Distribution Companies (EDCs) on power restoration efforts. With the support of additional out-of-state resources arriving Monday and throughout Tuesday, including more than 2,000 line, tree, and service crew workers as well as other operations personnel, the number of impacted customers has lowered to approximately 152,000 as of 1 p.m. Wednesday and continues to decline. 

As winds and travel conditions continue to improve, the EDCs are making steady progress assessing the damage and advancing safe, efficient restoration efforts. All EDCs are actively monitoring their service territories and providing support where needed to bring power back to customers as safely and quickly as possible.  

The crews are working town by town to restore power and must first assess the damages before starting any repairs. The biggest challenge is clearing the snow so that repairs can be made safely, and trees and streets must be cleared to repair the power lines. The number of impacted customers can still fluctuate if the EDCs need to deenergize the power lines to repair them. This is a three-pronged process: emergency and safety are first while the crews assess the damages and look at access to restore power where they can. Line crews and workers have been shifted to help deal with the more affected areas to restore power as soon as they possibly can.

Department of Conservation and Recreation 

Staff from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) are continuing storm cleanup efforts at properties and assets across the state. DCR has prioritized clearing safe routes to schools along DCR roadways as schools reopen on Wednesday. Snow has been cleared from major parkways, while cleanup efforts are ongoing for DCR’s Southeastern properties in addition to secondary roadways and pedestrian pathways across the park system.

Cleanup operations will continue throughout the week.  

For more information on DCR snow removal priorities visit DCR’s winter storm plan and priority map webpage. 

DCR operations, forestry and fire control teams are in close communication with emergency response partners at the state, regional and local levels to deploy assistance with storm clean up as needed. DCR Fire Control dispatched a Saw Crew Strike Team on Tuesday to Brewster to assist with shelter setup. Tree and bucket crews are being deployed on Wednesday to provide assistance to Orleans.  

All DCR visitor centers, the Melnea A. Cass Recreation Center, and agency-operated skating rinks in Boston will reopen on Wednesday with the exception of Kelly Outdoor Rink in Jamaica Plain, which will remain closed due to an equipment issue.

For the most up-to-date information on any DCR facility closures please visit the DCR Park Alerts page.

Department of Environmental Protection 

To address the handling of excessive snowfall amounts, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) provides Snow Disposal Guidance to local governments and businesses. The online guidance assists with snow disposal site selection, site preparation and maintenance, and emergency snow disposal options that are protective of wetlands, drinking water, and waterbodies. MassDEP also has an online mapping tool to help communities identify possible snow disposal options locally. If a community or business demonstrates that there is no remaining capacity at upland snow disposal locations, local conservation commissions are authorized to issue Emergency Certifications under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act for snow disposal in certain wetland resource areas.   

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