Town of Bridgewater Provides Update on Ongoing Nor’easter Response

BRIDGEWATER — Town Manager Michael Duttonand Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director Michael MacDermott would like to share an update on the Town’s ongoing response and clean-up efforts following the Nor’easter.

The storm that hit the region overnight caused significant power outages in Bridgewater as well as cellular telephone outages. The Town estimates that over 75% of the power is currently out as of 5:15 p.m. Wednesday. Across Plymouth County, almost 85% of power remains out. The outages are due to over 20 substations and 11 feeder lines that power the community being down. 

Personnel from the Town’s Roadway Department were out cleaning debris throughout the night due to the storm, and will continue to work through to Thursday. The Bridgewater Fire Department has also been removing trees from roads and making neighborhoods accessible for emergency vehicles. At least two vehicles were damaged by falling trees in the area of Mt. Prospect. No injuries have been reported.

Line crews from National Grid and their contractors are ready to repair outages, but cannot operate bucket trucks until wind speeds fall below 35 miles per hour. Given the widespread damage throughout the region, the Town expects that outages could linger for some time, although no estimate from National Grid has been received and it is believed they are still assessing damage.

First responders in town are continuing to check on elderly and infirmed residents, and encourage residents to do the same for those that they know of in town.

“I would like to thank all of the Town employees who worked so diligently throughout this entire weather-related event to make sure our residents were safe and damage was repaired in a timely manner,” Town Manager Dutton said. “We thank all of our residents for their patience and understanding as the Town continues to assess the damage from the storm and work on clean-up efforts.”

The Town reminds residents that if their power is out, follow MEMA’s power outage safety tips. Report power outages to your utility company. Do not call 911 to report an outage or to ask about power restoration.

Residents using generators should use extreme caution and allow for proper ventilation. Never use a generator indoors or inside a garage. Keep generators away from HVAC air intakes. For more generator safety tips, visit Redcross.org.

The Town of Bridgewater will provide further updates as they become available.