Eversource Outage Map Reflects Widespread Losses as Healey Orders Travel Ban in Southeastern Massachusetts
A ferocious blizzard dumped more than two feet of snow across eastern Massachusetts and prompted Governor Maura Healey to ban all non-essential driving in Bristol, Plymouth and Barnstable counties. The eversource outage map's exact readings are unclear in the provided context, but about 290, 000 utility customers were without power, a loss that has complicated response and recovery efforts.
Governor Maura Healey Declares Travel Ban for Bristol, Plymouth and Barnstable
Governor Maura Healey announced a ban on non-essential driving in the three counties that cover Cape Cod and portions of southeastern Massachusetts. The order will remain in effect until the state’s highway administrator determines road conditions are safe. Violators face a $500 fine. Healey made the announcement at a press briefing held at the state’s emergency operations center in Framingham and described the storm as among the most intense the state has faced in years.
Eversource Outage Map: Outages Concentrated on Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod
About 290, 000 utility customers were without power statewide, with the largest concentrations on Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, the South Coast and parts of the North Shore. Utility companies have brought in additional crews from across New England, New York and Canada, but officials warned that restoring power could take multiple days. The high winds that accompanied the storm prevented bucket trucks from operating safely, and uncleared roads have delayed crews from reaching downed power lines — a combination officials identified as the principal barrier to rapid restoration.
Snow Totals and Visibility Problems as of 2 p. m.
Snow reports as of 2 p. m. showed the storm producing fast and furious snowfall, with many communities exceeding two feet by midafternoon and more still falling. Wind gusts reached 70 to 80 miles per hour on the outer Cape and up to 60 miles per hour across eastern Massachusetts, creating blinding snow and near-zero visibility. The intensity of the snow and wind has kept removal efforts ongoing while the precipitation continues.
State Police Data: Disabled Vehicles Impede Response
By midafternoon, State Police logged more than 350 disabled vehicles across the state, including 119 in the Greater Boston area and 111 on the South Shore. Stuck and abandoned cars and trucks have complicated plowing operations and slowed emergency responses,. In response to hazardous conditions, the speed limit on the Massachusetts Turnpike was reduced to 40 miles per hour.
Exemptions, Essential Travel and Transportation Department Actions
The travel ban includes exemptions for public safety personnel, utility crews, public works employees, public transportation operators, news media, snow removal contractors and people seeking urgent medical care. Travel tied to essential businesses such as grocery stores, gas stations and pharmacies is also permitted. The state’s transportation department is redeploying equipment to the South Coast and warned drivers to expect reduced highway service while cleanup continues.
Healey urged residents outside the ban zone to avoid driving unless absolutely necessary and emphasized that crews are actively working to clear roads: “Everybody’s out, everybody’s working incredibly hard to clear the roads, but the snow is still coming down pretty hard, and it will be for a while. ” She stressed the need to keep roads passable for essential travel.
State officials described hazardous conditions with reports of tow trucks struggling to reach disabled vehicles. What makes this notable is how the combination of hurricane-force gusts, widespread heavy snow and blocked roads has turned a typical restoration operation into a logistics challenge; the issue is not the availability of crews but access to damaged infrastructure. High winds and uncleared routes have directly prevented equipment from reaching downed lines, which has extended expected restoration timelines into multiple days.
The eversource outage map appears in public discussion as one reference point for outage totals, but the context does not provide its precise readout. Residents are urged to heed the travel ban in the named counties and to limit driving to essential needs while emergency and utility crews continue clearing roads and repairing power lines.
