CITY CREWS WORKING TO REPAIR SIGNIFICANT STORM DAMAGE CITYWIDE
Damage Reported in Municipal, School Buildings; Downed Trees and Power Lines Continue to Cause Difficulties in Some Areas; DPW, Public Safety and School Officials Working to Make Repairs in Time for Return to Usual Operations on Wednesday
officials - DPW, Police, Fire, and school officials - continue the cleanup
efforts throughout the City of Somerville.
The storm, which included winds in excess of 70 miles per hour over a
twelve-hour period, inflicted uprooted and fallen trees, downed power lines
and other reported electrical outages, and some significant damage to
municipal, school, and residential buildings.
Roof damage was reported at several residences, as well as City Hall,
and significant roof damage was discovered late Monday evening at Somerville
High School, closing the auditorium until further notice. Though no serious injuries were reported in
Somerville, more than ten homes were evacuated Monday afternoon on Browning
Road due to uprooted trees threatening gas lines. No gas main was ruptured, and residents who had
been displaced have since returned to their homes.
"We anticipated an intense and slow-moving storm
packing high wind, and Hurricane Sandy definitely delivered," said Mayor Joseph
A. Curtatone. "I want to thank the City
crews from every department who have worked around the clock since late last
week, both to prepare our city for the storm, and to deal with issues in real time
throughout the day on Monday. And I want
to thank residents for being our eyes on the streets and in the
neighborhoods. Your vigilance,
particularly those who assisted us by calling into 311 and posting to our
various social media feeds, greatly supported our efforts in ensuring swift and
safe cleanup."
"Over the next several days these crews will continue
to work to get all buildings back to full operations, and to ensure roadways
are clear and power lines made safe. In
addition, once we've fully assessed the damage and the steps we need to take to
recover fully, we will be seeking assistance funds as is consistent with damage
created in a State of Emergency," Mayor Curtatone said.
Preliminary assessment shows that at the peak of the
storm, just over 1,600 power outages were reported, accounting for
approximately 4% of NStar subscribers in Somerville, though the average throughout
Monday lingered around a 1% reported outage.
Since Monday morning, more than 200 downed trees were reported via 311
and, according to initial data, the 311 representatives handled almost 10 times
the number of average calls for a Monday (a total of 1,268 calls were logged
Monday). Preliminary data also shows
that the Somerville Fire Department responded to approximately 180
storm-related calls Monday.
IMAGES:
An uprooted tree and split utility pole created
a potentially dangerous situation on Browning Road. More than 10 homes were evacuated, and
residents sheltered at Holiday Inn until Tuesday morning.
A large section of the roof atop Somerville High
School suffered significant damage, affecting the auditorium, which will be
closed until further notice.
A large tree on the Somerville High School
concourse fell, blocking pedestrian access for a portion of Monday Tuesday
morning.
Fire Department and DPW crews had to contend
with numerous uprooted trees, which adversely affected homes, cars, and power
lines in several areas.
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