BOSTON — Utility crews remain hard at work Tuesday as they race to restore power in communities across Massachusetts after an intense storm blew through on Monday with damaging wind gusts and drenching downpours, leaving hundreds of thousands in the dark.
Craig Hallstrom, regional president of electric operations for Eversource, said during a Tuesday morning news conference that “a lot of very mature trees” were ripped from the ground and knocked onto homes and power lines as gusts in some parts of the Bay State clocked in at 90 mph.
“This was a significant event,” Hallstrom said. “A lot of tree damage. Trees hitting homes, hitting vehicles.”
Read More [ Monday’s storm: Which Mass. communities had the strongest wind gusts, highest rainfall totals? ]
Hallstrom said there are hundreds of crews working in towns and cities across the state, and that power was restored to 160,000 customers by Monday night. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were still more than 100,000 outages , many of which were in southeastern Massachusetts.
The persistent and powerful wind gusts throughout the day made it difficult to immediately address the outages due to safety protocols that are in place for severe weather events.
Severe Weather Northeast A large chunk of a 60-foot white pine tree lays across Ellen Briggs' yard in Portland, Maine, on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. Utility crews are working to restore power to hundreds of thousands of customers in Maine and some rivers continued to rise following a powerful storm that hit the northeastern U.S. (AP Photo/Patrick Whittle) (Patrick Whittle)
Severe Weather Northeast Joe Stanhope and Tori Grasse carry furniture from the flooded outdoor patio of the Quarry Tap Room, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Nathan Stanhope, rear, wades through the flood water to retrieve more items. Waters continue to rise in the Kennebec River following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty)
Severe Weather Northeast Nathan Sennett hands furniture to Tori Grasse as they work in hip-deep water on the patio of the Quarry Tap Room, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Waters continue to rise in the Kennebec River following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty)
Severe Weather Northeast Sand bags sit on a street in Montpelier, Vt., on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, a day after the threat of flooding hit the city again. Many communities were saturated by rainfall. Some towns in Vermont, which had suffered major flooding from a storm in July, were seeing more flood damage. (AP Photo/ Lisa Rathke) (Lisa Rathke)
Severe Weather Northeast Nathan Sennett wades to retrieve furniture in hip-deep water on the patio of the Quarry Tap Room, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Waters continue to rise in the Kennebec River following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty)
Severe Weather Northeast Drew Landry surveys the seen alongside the the flooded Kennebec River, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Waters continue to rise following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty)
Severe Weather Northeast A man photographs the flooded Kennebec River, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Waters continue to rise following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty)
Severe Weather Northeast Nathan Sennett wades to retrieve furniture in hip-deep water on the patio of the Quarry Tap Room, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Waters continue to rise in the Kennebec River following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast A motorist maneuvers around a broken tree limb, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Thousands of people remain without power following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast A sign is seen in the parking lot behind the Quarry Tap Room, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Waters continue to rise in the Kennebec River following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Trees lay broken in a park across the the State House, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, in Hallowell, Maine. Thousands remain without electricity following Monday's severe storm. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) (Robert F. Bukaty/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast The water level of the Deerfield River creeps up to the edge of Route 100 in Wilmington, Vt., on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, after a heavy storm dropped a couple of inches of rain. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP) (Kristopher Radder/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Cassidy Doolittle of Wilmington, Vt., takes a photo of the water marker on the side of a building in downtown Wilmington as the Deerfield River gets to 14 feet high on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, after a heavy storm dropped a couple of inches of rain. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP) (Kristopher Radder/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Members of the Jamaica, Vt., Fire Department look at the damage to a failed culvert for the North Branch Ball Mountain Brook on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, after a heavy storm dropped a couple of inches of rain. The culvert was originally replaced after the storms in July but failed again on Monday. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP) (Kristopher Radder/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Pedestrians are buffeted by wind as they cross a street, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Boston. A storm moving up the East Coast brought heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast on Monday, threatening flooding, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne/AP)
Severe Weather Pedestrians are buffeted by wind and rain as they cross a street, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Boston. A storm moving up the East Coast brought heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast on Monday, threatening flooding, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne/AP)
Severe Weather A pedestrian is buffeted by wind and rain while crossing a street, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Boston. A storm moving up the East Coast brought heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast on Monday, threatening flooding, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne/AP)
Severe Weather Pedestrians are buffeted by wind and rain as they cross a street, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Boston. A storm moving up the East Coast brought heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast on Monday, threatening flooding, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne/AP)
Severe Weather A passer-by grasps a pole while buffeted by wind and rain on a sidewalk, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Boston. A storm moving up the East Coast brought heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast on Monday, threatening flooding, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne/AP)
Severe Weather Passers-by are buffeted by wind as they cross a street, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in Boston. A storm moving up the East Coast brought heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast on Monday, threatening flooding, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (Steven Senne/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast High winds drive surf into a retaining wall in front of a residence in Mattapoisett, Mass. on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023 as a storm makes its away across the region. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP) (Peter Pereira/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Storm water floods a parking lot and a street in Bronxville, NY, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Heavy rain and high winds swept through the Northeast on Monday for the second time in a week, spurring flood warnings, electricity outages, flight cancelations and school closings. (AP Photo/Luke Sheridan) (Luke Sheridan/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Storm water floods the Bronx River Parkway, in Yonkers, NY, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Heavy rain and high winds swept through the Northeast on Monday for the second time in a week, spurring flood warnings, electricity outages, flight cancelations and school closings. (AP Photo/Luke Sheridan) (Luke Sheridan/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Cars traverse the storm flooded Bronx River Parkway, in Yonkers, NY, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Heavy rain and high winds swept through the Northeast on Monday for the second time in a week, spurring flood warnings, electricity outages, flight cancelations and school closings. (AP Photo/Luke Sheridan) (Luke Sheridan/AP)
Severe Weather Northeast Storm water floods a parking lot and a street in Bronxville, NY, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Heavy rain and high winds swept through the Northeast on Monday for the second time in a week, spurring flood warnings, electricity outages, flight cancelations and school closings. (AP Photo/Luke Sheridan) (Luke Sheridan/AP)
Salem, NH: Tree on Home Salem, NH: Tree on Home
HANOVER MAIN STREET STORM DAMAGE FROM HANOVER FIRE DEPARTMENT (HANOVER MAIN STREET STORM DAMAGE FROM HANOVER FIRE DEPARTMENT)
Tree down Wellesley Ave Credit Wellesley PD (Tree down Wellesley Ave Credit Wellesley PD)
MIDDLEBORO TREE DOWN CREDIT PETER GILMORE (MIDDLEBORO TREE DOWN CREDIT PETER GILMORE)
TREE DOWN IN LAKEVILLE CREDIT ALEX LINCOLN (TREE DOWN IN LAKEVILLE CREDIT ALEX LINCOLN)
Tree down across Norton road Credit Cathy Webber (Tree down across Norton road (Credit Cathy Webber))
Tree down in Newton (Tree down in Newton)
Tree on gazebo in Pembroke credit Charlene Rosemond (Tree on gazebo in Pembroke credit Charlene Rosemond)
Upton power lines down Credit Upton Police Department (Upton power lines down Credit Upton Police Department)
Wellesley trees down Credit Wellesley PD (Wellesley trees down Credit Wellesley PD)
Newton tree down (Tree down Oakmont Road in Newton)
Newton tree down (Tree down Oakmont Road in Newton)
Newton tree down (Tree down Oakmont Road in Newton)
Newton tree down (Tree down Oakmont Road)
Tree on home on F Street in South Boston Tree on home on F Street in South Boston
Tree on home on F Street in South Boston Tree on home on F Street in South Boston
Canton storm damage Canton storm damage (Canton Police)
“The winds just never let up,” Hallstrom said. “Our crews, by OSHA guidelines, can’t go up in their buckets above 40 mph.”
Hallstrom estimated that power would be restored to the “majority” of Eversource customers by the day’s end when about 600 crews will be on the ground.
“We expect a majority of our customers to be restored today,” Hallstrom explained. “To have an outage this week, the holidays are coming up, people are preparing, people may be off, so it’s extra frustrating.”
In northern New England, several popular ski areas were forced to close after the storm’s high rainfall totals led to flash flooding.
RELATED CONTENT:
[ DA: South Shore man killed when strong wind gust knocks tree onto trailer ]
[ Parts of South Shore could be without power for days after storm barrels through region ]
[ Wind gust equivalent to strength of Category 4 hurricane recorded in New England on Monday ]
[ ‘Everything is crushed:’ Marshfield woman hurt by falling debris after pine tree topples onto home ]
[ ‘Like a bomb went off’: Downed transformer sets car ablaze in Newton ]
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