Weekend storm causes widespread power outages

By Mike Berger

Last weekend’s surprise snowstorm left thousands in town without power — as many as 3,000 by Sunday morning. That number was reduced to 1,000 by Monday afternoon, 241 by Tuesday, and 80 as of yesterday morning.

However, most of the remaining homes without power are concentrated in the Lake Road area (around Glen Echo Lake), where homes rely on well water. As a result, those residents have been without any access to water for four days and counting.

At the height of the storm, which dumped four inches of heavy, wet snow on Canton early Sunday morning, power was cut in Canton Center from Revere Street to the Village Shoppes. Fire Chief Charlie Doody said the Fire Department received 20 calls from residents of Lake Road, Elm Street, South Street, Dedham Street, and Birchroft Road reporting downed wires and tree limbs.

DPW Superintendent Mike Trotta, however, noted that while many trees fell, no major roads were blocked. DPW workers cut up the trees that did fall, Trotta said, allowing trucks and sanders to move through the streets Saturday night and Sunday. The only partial roadblock was the result of a downed tree with electrical wires on South Street, off Indian Lane. In that instance, the DPW had to wait for NSTAR to respond to take care of the electrical wires before the DPW could clear the road.

Selectmen Chairman John Connolly announced Monday night that selectmen and the DPW have arranged for another curbside collection of tree debris from residential properties. The pickup will begin Monday, November 7, and end Friday, November 18. It will start in the Washington/High Street area and move clockwise around town, ending in the Estey Way/Pleasant Street area. More details are available on the DPW website.

Connolly said he was pleased that there was more direct contact with NSTAR than during Hurricane Irene in September. He said Police Chief Ken Berkowitz had direct contact with an NSTAR representative, who kept town officials informed about NSTAR’s power restoration efforts. “The biggest improvement was that we had a live person to talk to,” Connolly said.

Noting that four instances of carbon monoxide buildup from portable generators were reported, Doody stressed the importance of placing generators 10 feet away from a home — and never in a garage or shed. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide can build up quickly and can linger for hours, even after the generator has been shut off.

Doody reported one small house fire at 1056 Washington Street early Sunday morning when the homeowner reported smoke from a surge protector.

The town put out a Halloween advisory through a Reverse 911 call on Monday afternoon cautioning residents that many sidewalks were hazardous to navigate because of fallen branches and poor lighting in areas still without power.

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