YARMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - Governor Charlie Baker activated the Massachusetts National Guard to assist with tornado cleanup in four Cape Cod communities Thursday.

The order allows for up to 500 guardsmen, who will also be joined by Department of Correction community work crews, comprised of approximately 221 DOC employees and 88 inmates from minimum custody facilities.

National Guard troops and DOC work crews will be spread out evenly across Dennis, Harwich, Chatham, and Yarmouth.

Support efforts will begin Thursday to assist local officials as they manage debris and continue to clear roads in each community.

“Earlier this week several Cape Cod communities suffered significant damage from two tornadoes and severe weather, and I am activating the National Guard and sending DOC work crews to provide additional resources in the towns requesting assistance,” Baker said.

Residents can call 2-1-1 to obtain disaster information and call local public safety non-emergency phone numbers or town halls for local questions.

For power outage updates and specific restoration times by town, check the Eversource outage map.

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