North Andover, Andover schools closed Monday due to power outages after storms tore through region

ANDOVER, Mass. — Schools in Andover and North Andover are closed on Monday after powerful storms tore through Merrimack Valley on Friday leaving widespread damages and power outages across the town.

While power is gradually being restored throughout town, approximately 44% of residents remain without power as of Sunday afternoon due to the severity of the damage caused by Friday’s storm.

In a letter to parents and staff on Sunday, Superintendent Dr. Magda Parvey said many of the district’s schools remain without power with an unclear timeline for restoration.

“Several National Grid vehicles are causing road closures or blockages which will make traveling for buses and families unsafe and sidewalk cleanup remains ongoing,” Parvey wrote. “These blockages have also prevented public works crews access to clean up roads and sidewalks.”

Following in line, North Andover Superintendent Gregg Gilligan announced schools will be closed on Monday due to the intense storm damage from Friday.

“While we have worked extremely hard since the storm to ensure our schools would be ready for tomorrow, there are still too many areas around town that need attention,” said Dr. Gilligan.

Officials said families will be kept updated on the progress and when school will resume.

Restoration efforts are expected to continue into Monday as the roadways and sidewalks remain obstructed by tree limbs and debris, and utility crews are continuing to perform restoration work in public right of ways.

As of 9:45 pm, National Grid have restored power to over 80,000 customers while prioritizing restoration to schools across the region. More than 400 external crews and over 1,400 personnel continue working to restore service.

The 4,100 customers that remain without power are mostly in the hardest hit areas of Andover, North Andover, Chelmsford and Lawrence.

Ruth and David Martin, Andover residents are among those customers still without power.

“The best part is, we’re both safe... other people are safe,” said Ruth.

The Martins, like many others, have a giant clean-up job ahead, as Friday’s storm snapped and toppled and uprooted dozens of trees in the Merrimack Valley. The Martins had one fall on their house, ripping down not only electrical lines, but damaging gas service, as well.

“They came this morning and they went to remove the tree and there’s a beehive in there,” Ruth said. “Once the tree is removed, Eversource will replace the gas and we’ll be good to go.”

There is still the matter of no electricity and no solid information on when it will come back on for the remaining customers.

“It’s been a moving target,” Ruth said. “Right now they’re saying 10:00 tonight. They told me 9:00 last night, then they told me midnight, then they said 12:00 this afternoon.”

The Robb Senior Center will be open as a cooling center and a location for charging electronic devices between 5:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. Sunday night.

As well as cooling and charging stations available to families at the Memorial Hall Library from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday.

For more information and updates, visit andoverma.gov. If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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