Almost 10,000 residents without power as historic storm clears

The sun is shining the morning after a powerful winter storm downed trees, blocked roads and knocked out power across Wareham. 

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is reporting 9,994 residents across Wareham to have no power Tuesday, Feb. 24. Eversource crews were working late Monday night to restore power as dangerous conditions, outages and rescue calls overwhelmed crews.

“At this point, this is clearly a large-scale, multi-day restoration effort, especially in the hardest-hit areas,” said Eversource President of Massachusetts Electric Operations Doug Foley.

Estimated time of repair for residents is unknown Eversource warns customers to stay clear of downed wires, which may be hidden by snow, report them immediately to 911 and use extreme caution during storm cleanup. Customers using generators should ensure they are operated outdoors and far away from buildings.

As of 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23 Wareham received a record total of 30.1 inches of snow according to the National Weather Service.

Governor Maura Healey ordered an ban on non-essential motor vehicle travel in Bristol, Plymouth and Barnstable counties on Monday following a state of emergency declaration.

The ban remains in effect until lifted by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation highway administrator. Emergency responders, public works and utility crews, health care workers, critical infrastructure personnel, news media and others providing essential services can travel at this time. 

Plows continue to work clearing roads in Wareham and the travel ban remains active. 

Wareham Public Schools are closed Tuesday.