PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Utility crews are working around the clock to restore power to thousands of households and businesses after a nor’easter wreaked havoc across Southern New England.
The strong wind gusts toppled trees and downed power lines across the region. At the storm’s peak, more than 90,000 Rhode Islanders and roughly 500,000 Massachusetts residents were in the dark.
As of Wednesday evening, more than 195,000 National Grid customers in Massachusetts were without power, as were nearly 45,000 in Rhode Island.
National Grid spokesperson Ted Kresse told NewsNation affiliate WPRI there are currently 2,400 field-based personnel responding to outages across the region, including approximately 400 external line crews and 250 forestry crews.
While the slow-moving storm has mostly made its way out of the area, windy and damp conditions are expected to continue into the evening.
The storm prompted several school local districts to shift to distance learning or cancel classes altogether.
The Newport Pell and Jamestown bridges were closed for a portion of the morning due to the strong wind gusts, but have since reopened.
While a number of flights were affected Wednesday morning, scheduled arrivals and departures at Rhode Island T.F. Green Airport appear to be back on track.
