SCITUATE, Mass. (WHDH/AP) – Utility crews are making steady progress restoring power in Massachusetts following the powerful nor’easter that brought hurricane-force wind gusts and coastal flooding to the region.
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The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said about 70,000 electric customers remained in the dark as of Monday morning.
In Hull, power was restored Sunday after about 48 hours. Gov. Charlie Baker said utility crews are working diligently to restore power in many other communities.
Still, officials said it could be midweek before everyone is back on line.
Schools will remain closed on Monday in several communities, including Weymouth. The city said several of its school buildings remained without power and its high school was being used as a shelter.
RELATED: Storm closings and delays
MEMA said the Civil Air Patrol planned to overfly the entire Massachusetts coast, including Cape Cod and the islands, Monday to give officials a more extensive look at impacts from the storm.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito surveyed storm damage in Scituate and Marshfield. Massive waves hammered the coast, sending ocean water higher than the tops of some homes in Marshfield. Scituate was left under water.
“I was struck by the size of boulders and rocks that were tossed from the ocean into the roadway, and the piles of sand and dirt that made roads impassable,” Polito said.
In Marshfield, high tide sent massive waves crashing over homes at Brandt Rock.
As of 6 p.m. Sunday, 33 percent of the town remained without power, with an estimated restoration time of 6 p.m. on Monday. All Marshfield schools will be closed Monday.
Polito praised first responders for preparing well in advance for the nasty storm and residents for listening to the warnings.
“It’s remarkable after I took a tour through some of the coastal areas that more structures were not lost and more people were not put in harms way,” Polito said. “Their preparedness, their evacuation plan, their responsiveness to keep the people of this community safe. First and foremost, it’s a job very well done.”
Utilities issued estimated times of restorations for their service areas:
Eversource ETRs:
- Boston and Metrowest: Substantially complete
- South Coast: 11:59 PM on Monday, March 5th
- South Shore: 11:59 PM on Tuesday, March 6th
- Cape Cod: 6:00 PM on Wednesday, March 7th
National Grid ETRs:
- Merrimack Valley: 7:15 PM on Sunday, March 4th
- North Shore: 11:45 PM on Sunday, March 4th
- South Shore and Southeast: 11:59 PM on Tuesday, March 6th
Officials urged residents to check on their neighbors. Fifteen shelters and four warming centers are open in Massachusetts, including locations in Seekonk, Harwich and Duxbury.
The MBTA warned riders to expect delays Monday along storm-damaged commuter rail lines.
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