8 a.m. update: Over 92,000 Cape Codders are still without lights and heat after the Blizzard of ’18 lashed the area with winds up to 81 MPH. Eversource has multiple crews working but it is a slow process because of extensive damage to their infrastructure. Many poles have to be reset and trees cleared. We’ll continue to update restoration efforts in this article (scroll down for update).
The Wellfleet Library will open at 8:00 this morning as a warming station. Bring your chargers if you need to charge your electronics.
In Orleans, crews were called to a snow plow on fire on Freeman’s Lane. The vehicle was fully involved when they arrived. The driver was not injured (Orleans Fire-Rescue photo, Orleans Police video):
Meanwhile, Dennis Fire reports that at 3:08 AM this morning a fire department crew responding to a power line down spotted a garage on fire at a house located at 17 Lone Tree Road and owned by a William Cobb. The house was occupied at the time of the fire. The fire had spread to the owners pickup truck, located in the driveway and an adjacent garage at 21 Lone Tree but was extinguished quickly by the fire department. Dennis Fire officials report cause of the fire was a generator used to power the house during the current outages. Harwich Fire sent an engine to assist. There were no reported injuries to firefighters.
11:00 a.m. update: Eversource currently has 296 line crews working on Cape Cod, along with 125 tree crews and dozens of additional damage assessment teams. There is no specific time frame as of yet for full restoration. Shelters remain open. Sandwich Police photo:
Meanwhile, parts of Provincetown that had gotten power back are in the dark again. There were reports a large tree had gone down on wires on Jerome Smith Road. The current Capewide total has risen to 105,000.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (MWT) Community & Government Building Warming Station will open today at 11 a.m. for the community and neighbors.
MWT Police can be contacted at 774 361 6045 with any questions.
Nelson Andrews Jr., MWT Emergency Management Dir., can be reached at 774 327 8367
In partnership with Red Cross, boxed meals will be provided.
11:45 p.m. update: Two important updates from Orleans Police: Please be hyper aware of what is above you. With the temps rising, ice and snow are falling unexpectedly. A young lady was struck in the head while putting air in her tires at a service station. Please be careful!!!
Also please give the Eversource crews the space they need to restore power. This crew is on Eldridge Parkway, which is the main supply line to ALL of east Orleans. Yet there are people driving around the barricade, which is closing said road. Barricades are not there to inconvenience you on your way to whatever, it’s there to protect the crew working. DO NOT DRIVE AROUND THE BARRICADES
