ANDOVER, MA (WHDH) — Damages left behind from the storm that hit Massachusetts has crews out cleaning debris from the streets as they work towards restoring electricity.
Andover is one of several communities that will not be taking part in Halloween Tuesday due to severe damage caused early Monday by torrential rain and strong winds.
Downed trees have come down across the town, blocking main roads. Officials said 33 high-tension power lines throughout the Merrimack Valley were knocked down during the storm.
“Trees are still coming down with wires in Andover,” tweeted Andover Police. “Don’t walk through the spaghetti mess of wires and branches, even if your power is out.”
Crews are working to recover from the extensive damage. Officials estimate that it could take up to 72 hours to restore power in Andover.
“If there is anything positive to take away from this, it is that temperatures are mild, and we have not had the extremely cold nights that accompany winter storms. That said, I still encourage our residents to check on their neighbors. Make sure your friends and neighbors are well, and see if they need anything,” said Town Manager Andrew Flanagan. “Mother Nature, as she tends to, has sent us a curveball, and how we come together as a community to respond makes all the difference.”
As a result, Andover activated its emergency management protocols. The Memorial Hall Library will be open until 9 p.m. Monday and will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday. The Cormier Youth Center will open at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Both locations will serve as charging stations for residents to come in and charge their cellphones and mobile devices.
Halloween was also postponed in Billerica, Boxford, Chelmsford, Tyngsborough, Dracut, Westford, Salisbury, Lowell and Pelham, New Hampshire. Billerica, Chelmsford, Lowell, Westford and Dracut will hold trick-or-treating on Friday, while Tyngsborough has pushed the holiday back to Sunday. Salisbury said its makeup date has yet to be determined.
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