On February 22, we were hit by a blizzard that paralyzed the region for nearly the entire week and stressed the electrical grid to its furthest extent.
The final numbers, according to the Narional Weather Service, have Rochester, the only time in the Tri-Town the service measures, coming in at 25 inches of snow. A little over two feet in the span of about 24 hours.
At the same time, wind gusts in Marion were registered at a peak of 50 miles per hour, recorded at 5:30 am. Nearly all of Marion experienced power outages, with 3,111 households affected. There were 1,164 household outages in Mattapoisett and 1,446 in Rochester.
Models and predictions had swung unprecedentedly as the storm approached. Although New York City, the Jersey Shore, and Long Island were the first to be put in the crosshairs, it quickly became apparent that the South Coast and Cape Cod would be the true targets.
That being said, the record for this snow fall, and the area hit hardest, would prove to be Rhode Island and Narragansett Bay. T.F. Green International Airport measured 37.9” of snowfall, as National Grid scrambled to keep up with outages.
Here in the Tri-Town, power had been restored to nearly all residents past mid-week. Eversource called on mutual aid from Connecticut, New Hampshire, and other parts of Massachusetts to assist in the restoration of power to Plymouth, Bristol and Barnstable counties.
The travel ban was lifted the day after the storm, on Tuesday, February 24 at noon. The Rochester Select Board held an emergency Zoom meeting that day to discuss conditions and cleanup efforts.
In Marion, city offices like the Town House Annex and Maritime Center had to be closed for much of the week, with the Maritime Center staying closed throughout.
In Mattapoisett, the Town Administrator Michael Lorenco offered an official thank you message to the hard work of members of the Highway Department, Water/Sewer Department, and the Police and Fire Departments, saying, “For four straight days, the men and women of these departments worked around the clock, leaving their families at home during a difficult time to serve, assist, and protect our community. Their tireless commitment and professionalism ensured the safety and well-being of Mattapoisett residents during what was truly an unprecedented storm.”
In a cruel twist of fate, snow began to fall from the heavens this past Tuesday, though it didn’t stick and would transition to rain, pelting and slowly melting the monolithic, immovable mountains of snow around the towns.
By Sam Bishop