As the worst of the storm has passed, town and utility workers are now busy clearing roadways, dealing with downed trees and restoring power.

While more than 80 percent of Wareham was without power, now that figure is about 70 percent, said Emergency Management Director Patrick MacDonald.

The recovery from the storm has been “long and slow,” MacDonald said. 

He noted that many traffic lights are still out, and reminded people that they must be treated as four-way stops.

“You still have to stop,” MacDonald said.

MacDonald said on Thursday afternoon that most roadways were clear, although it may take crews a few weeks to clean up all of the downed branches and other debris that they cleared to the side of the roads. 

The town’s brush pile will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 30, at the Municipal Maintenance Department’s 95 Charge Pond Rd. location.

Per Eversource’s estimate, 99 percent of customers in Wareham will see their power restored by 6 p.m. Saturday. 

Eversource representative William Hinkle said that the storm was so damaging because of two factors: high speed winds and heavy, leaf-covered branches on the trees. 

“That was a very destructive combination to have,” Hinkle said, describing the combination as a “recipe for significant, widespread outages.”

Hinkle explained that winds above 35 mph are a threat to power lines, and that this storm brought winds up to 90 mph in Massachusetts.

He said that Eversource crews are working around the clock to restore power, and thanked customers for their patience.

In the meantime, the town opened the Multiservice Center at 48 Marion Rd. to serve as a place for people to warm up, charge their phones and other devices, and enjoy a hot meal. For lunch, soup and rolls were served. Dinner will be served, and the center will be open until 6 p.m. on Thursday. Masks are required for entry.

Human Resources Director Dorene Allen-England said that 33 people had stopped by the center. Some just grabbed a cup of coffee while charging their phones, while others spent more time enjoying the warmth or watching Seinfeld, which played on a TV. 

Allen-England said that the center will be open again from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday. Depending on how much of the town is still without power, the center may be open on Saturday, Allen-England said. 

Paul Sullivan, who visited the warming center with a friend, said that while they initially came to charge their phones, they ended up having a nice time — enjoying a bowl of chicken noodle soup and conversation.

The new Onset Fire Station, located at 8 Sand Pond Rd., has also set up a charging station for the public. Those who need to charge devices are welcome, but the department asks people to limit charging times to an hour. Everyone must wear masks at the fire station, regardless of vaccination status. 

Town Administrator Derek Sullivan said he was extremely grateful for the hard work of all the town employees responding to the storm: Both Fire Districts, EMS, Municipal Maintenance, sewer workers, Wareham Police, water workers, the Department of Natural Resources, and all others helping keep people safe.

Sullivan said that town buildings seemed to escape mostly unscathed, although a number of shingles were blown off the Multiservice Center roof.