HYANNIS, MASS. (WHDH) - Power outages on Cape Cod could last several days after strong winds lashed the area on Wednesday as a nor’easter battered the Bay State.
The majority of power outages in the state are within southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod.
RELATED: Hundreds of thousands remain without power after nor’easter batters Bay State
In Sandwich, more than 94 percent of the town was without power at the height of the storm, including a Stop & Shop that was running on backup generators.
“I’ve been here for about seven years and this is one of the worst storms that I’ve seen,” Sandwich Harbormaster Mick Dunning said. “Lot of trees down, lines down in the neighborhood.”
Dunning urged residents to stay home due to the damaging winds and many downed power lines.
“This is definitely nothing to fool around with. I’d stay home, stay off the roads, and let everyone do their jobs,” Dunning added.
Gov. Charlie Baker warned during a press conference Wednesday that restoring power to the area is expected to take multiple days.
“I think it’s really important that we give these guys and gals enough room to actually do the work they need to do to clean the trees out and clean roads out so we can then get people up in the bucket trucks and get everybody’s power back as quickly as possible,” he said.
The nor’easter’s peak wind gusts topped 80 mph on some parts of the Cape.
In Barnstable, large trees that were uprooted ripped down power lines and blocked roads. At one point during the storm, a woman was left trapped in her car.
Utility crews in the area said the damage was comparable to a hurricane.
“Folks should remember that the storm isn’t finished and crews are working to make sure roadways and other infrastructure are safe,” Baker said.
People on the Cape were unable to fuel up their vehicles because the relentless wind gusts knocked out power to many gas stations.
RELATED: Residents on the hunt for fuel as power outages grip South Shore, Cape Cod
Motorists running low on fuel could be seen lined up at gas stations in the area of the Sagamore Bridge.
A shelter opened up at the Barnstable Intermediate School to help people without power who have nowhere else to go.
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