Wide-Spread Power Outages Reported in Burlington Following October Storm

Last night's October snow storm has caused wide-spread power outages throughout the area, including in Burlington, where NSTAR reports that over 8,000 customers are in the dark. The utility company has estimated that full power might not be restored for all its customers until later this week.  

On its web site, NSTAR said the "heavy wet snow and high winds continue to take down wires and tree limbs, which is particularly challenging this time of year when the branches are still full of leaves." 

Captain Kevin Browne of the Burlington Fire Department said he estimated that nearly 75 percent of town is without power this morning. He said there are many downed trees on wires and last night there were transformer fires reported in town.

Browne said people should bundle up and stay warm today. If anyone has a medical issue or have a medical device that requires power they should call the fire department at 781-272-2211. Anyone with elderly neighbors are asked to check on them to ensure they are warm enough. The fire department has checked on residents with known medical issues this morning, Browne said.

Browne added that the has power and people looking to get warm can head there for a while.

There are some roads best to avoid this morning. Browne said that Winn Street and Sears Road both have sections that are blocked. Muller Road was blocked last night, he said, but is now clear. Also, while out, beware of downed power lines. Never approach a downed line, as they can be active even if they appear dead.

Power restoration effort:

NSTAR has activated its Emergency Response Plan - opening regional service centers as storm response headquarters, adding extra line crews and support staff in service centers, and adding additional staffing to its customer call center, the site states.

The utility company stated this morning it has restored power to 70,000 customers and 114,000 remain without power. Due to the high number of outages, NSTAR stated full restoration of all power might not be complete for a few days. 

"While many of our customers will have power restored within the next 24 hours; due to the difficult driving conditions, downed trees and severe damage experienced on our system; we’re anticipating our power restoration effort will last into the work week," the utility company stated.

On its town-by-town list, NSTAR reports that of its 11,263 Burlington customers, 8,215 are without power this morning. It does not list an estimated time for restoration but instead states the company is "assessing damage."

Customers can report outages by using the Report an Outage" tool or by calling NSTAR at 800-592-2000

Reader updates:

Many Burlington Patch readers have been posting updates about power outages and downed wires in their parts of town. To see the latest or join the discussion check out Burlington Patch's Facebook page by clicking here. You can also provide updates in the comments section below.