More than 250,000 Massachusetts customers were still without power early Tuesday, as utility crews worked through widespread damage left by a destructive blizzard that swept across the state on Monday. Outage totals have improved since Monday afternoon, but the hardest-hit coastal communities — especially on Cape Cod — could be dealing with extended restoration timelines as weather and access issues slow repairs.
Outages ease from Monday peak, but restoration remains uneven
Outage maps from major utilities showed roughly 254,000 customers without electricity as of Tuesday morning. That number had been higher the prior day, when totals climbed above 285,000 before gradually trending down. The improvement is welcome, but officials cautioned that restoration is not moving at the same pace everywhere because the storm’s impacts vary sharply by region.
Cape Cod sees the most severe losses with entire towns dark
The most serious disruption has centered on Barnstable County, where multiple Cape towns reported extremely high outage rates. In several places, service was effectively wiped out — including communities that were fully without power at the height of the shutdown.
Among the places reporting the steepest outage shares Tuesday morning were:
Brewster 100%, Eastham 100%, Provincetown 100%, Truro 100%, Wellfleet 100%, Orleans 99%, Chatham 94%, Falmouth 90%, Mashpee 88%, Yarmouth 84%, and Barnstable 80%.
Utilities warn Cape restoration could take 3 to 5 days
One major utility said some restoration work on the Cape could take three to five days, pointing to persistent storm conditions and the difficulty of reaching damaged infrastructure. Crews can’t safely begin full repairs in many spots until travel and visibility improve, and heavy drifting can keep access roads and work sites unstable even after snowfall slows.
Utilities also emphasized that large storms lengthen restoration windows because crews must prioritize life-safety hazards first, then move systematically from main lines to neighborhood circuits and, finally, individual service connections.
Nearly 1,000 crews mobilized as travel conditions restrict access
Utility officials said close to 1,000 line, tree, and service crews were part of the statewide response. But blowing and drifting snow, poor visibility, and blocked secondary roads have limited how quickly teams can reach downed lines and damaged equipment — especially in coastal areas where wind-driven snow creates dangerous conditions and where debris can obstruct roads for longer periods.
Warming centers open and some roads remain blocked
With temperatures dropping and prolonged outages expected in some areas, warming centers have opened across affected communities. Local alerts also warned that roads may remain blocked due to downed trees and wires, and residents were urged to avoid approaching fallen lines and to report hazards to emergency services.
State guidance: charge devices, use generators outdoors only
Emergency officials continue to remind residents to prepare for extended power loss by keeping phones and essential devices charged when possible, avoiding candles when safer lighting is available, and using generators and grills outdoors only to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. The state’s official power outage safety guidance includes practical steps for staying safe during outages and for reducing the risk of fires and carbon monoxide exposure.
If you are dependent on electric-powered medical equipment and need assistance, contact emergency services immediately. Downed power lines should always be treated as live and extremely dangerous.
Where outages remain highest across the state
Beyond Cape Cod, outages were also significant in parts of Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and the South Shore. Communities reporting major impacts included Edgartown 56%, Chilmark 45%, Nantucket 46%, and several Plymouth County towns such as Plymouth 69%, Wareham 69%, Duxbury 66%, and Scituate 57%.
Utility crews are expected to keep working through the day as conditions allow, prioritizing public safety hazards, critical infrastructure, and the largest outage clusters first.
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