T is open, but thousands without power due to morning blizzard

January 12, 2011 07:51 AM


By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

The number of homes and businesses without power is steadily escalating in Massachusetts this morning as heavy, wet snow and powerful gusting winds are downing power lines and causing whiteout conditions on the highways where dozens of crashes have already been reported.

Public officials are urging the public to stay home or use public transportation if necessary.

MBTA General Manager Richard Davey said the sprawling transit system is experiencing some delays, and has had to start shuttle bus service when a tree took down the power supply near the Green Line’s Riverside station.

“Ridership is light, but we are open for business to the extent that folks cannot stay at home today,'' he said.

Davey said mbta.com is experiencing heavy usage. Riders can also call 617-222-3200 where operators can provide the same information usually available on-line.

As of 7:30 a.m., buses are in use between Riverside and Newton Highlands stations because of a downed power line. Buses are also being used to replace the Red Line’s Mattapan high speed line. Commuter boat service from Hingham has been canceled, Davey said.

Logan Airport is open, but Massport spokesman Phil Orlandella said today that airlines have already canceled some 350 flights and the prospects for anyone flying out of East Boston today are not good.

“It looks like gloom and doom today,’’ he said. Orlandella said Massport will get an update from airlines later today on when flights will resume. The storm system is impacting air travel in other parts of the country.

Orlandella urged travelers to check with their airlines before coming to the airport. He noted many airlines are waiving fees for rebooked flights.

At 7:45 a.m. today, National Grid reported that 58,000 customers are now without power in a band that stretched from the Rhode Island border to the North Shore. Heaviest hit, however, are Plymouth County where 25,000 customers have lost power and Essex County where 11,000 are in the dark.

NSTAR reported 5,000 customers without power mostly on Cape Cod.

The National Weather Service said this morning that the worst of the blizzard will hit Massachusetts by 8 a.m., before ending this afternoon. Snow will fall 2 to 3 inches an hour at the height of the blizzard and could total 16 inches or more in parts of the region, the weather service said.

Peter Judge, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, said the main concern for today will be damage to energy supplies from the heavy, wet snow. He said the coastal regions, which saw damaging flooding in last month's nor'easter, are likely to be spared this time because of astronomically low tides and the path the storm is taking.

All state offices and courthouses are closed and dozens of school systems, colleges, and religious institutions are also closed today.

Nearly 4,000 pieces of plows and snow moving equipment have been at work on the state highways since 4 a.m., according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. State Police has lowered the speed on the Massachusetts Turnpike to 40 miles per hour.

State Police spokesman David Procopio said this morning that dozens of crashes have been reported on state roads. None, however, resulted in serious injuries or fatalities. Roads are icy and whiteouts have led numerous drivers to head the wrong way on highway ramps.

Boston.com’s traffic partner, sigalert.com, is indicating speeds major roads in greater Boston are generally well below normal.
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