Update 133pm 1/24/23 – Gardner w/o power down to 281, Winchendon at 816. Gardner MA Mayor Nicholson reports National Grid has 100 crews working in region with another 40 on the way.
Update: 125pm 1/24/23 – The number of customers in Gardner currently without power has been reduced to 347. Winchendon is down to 938, Westminster is at 1527, Hubbardston is at 1509, Phillipston is at 681, Royalston is at 349. Local supermarkets have been affected. For example, Hannaford saved its meat by putting it in a refrigerated truck last night, but frozen foods may have been lost, produce is not on the shelves. A Hannaford employee told us that some things may not be replenished until Friday. We do not have accurate information on Walmart, however reports are that they are closed and the phone just rings and rings. Price Chopper did not answer the line so we called corporate and the Gardner store is up and running at full capacity. Suggestion: An Athol Market Basket spokesmen confirmed that they are open and everything is available. They also have a generator system so a power outage would not affect them. Another option are stores in Fitchburg and Leominster as that area was less affected.
Update: 10:49am 1/24/23: – The Levi Heywood Memorial Library posted, “We know many residents are without heat and power today (some of the staff included). We are here for you today from 9AM-6PM with heat, power to charge your devices, and free WIFI. Stop by if you need to warm up or just need a quiet place to work.”
Update from Mayor Nicholson 9:30am – re Warming Centers and Hot Soup – Listen on any device
Press Release 1-24-23 9:35am click here.
Gardner MA Mayor Nicholson indicates that the majority of the current power outages are in South Gardner which is fed from the Westminster Substation. “Where Westminster was hit much harder with the storm yesterday, we expect that to take them a while to fix.” Warming Centers at Gardner Senior Center and Gardner PD will be open until at least 7pm. 2 roads are still closed due to downed trees. The Mayor stated that the original 2 hour delay for the Schools was kept in place as most roads were clear and safe for travel, “it would provide our students with a warm location to be at, and they would get hot meals there too to eat, which may not be the case if they were to stay at home.” The Mayor expressed concern for the storm tomorrow indicating a meeting later today with several department heads.”We will be evaluating the process for opening up temporary emergency shelters, the threshold for which a state of emergency would need to be called, our salt supply quantity, emergency food operations, and other topics. I will provide additional information to you all after that time.”
Update 1/24/23 9:15am- MEMA reports progress in restoring Gardner power, now 1357 still without, other nearby communities have increased or decreased slightly. Map
Update 1/24/23 7:22am – . According to MEMA, power has been restored to some Gardner customers with 1891 still without power, that’s down from last night. Here are the numbers at this hour without power in neighboring communities: Winchendon – 1759, Royalston – 441, Phillipston – 720, Westminster – 1775, Hubbardston -1667 For other communities and current map, CLICK HERE. Regarding Templeton and Ashburnham not shown on the MEMA map – Templeton Municipal Light reports sporadic, but not widespread outages as of 8:04am 1/24/23. And Ashburnham Municipal Light reports that they had widespread outages yesterday, but resolved those by midnight. Right now in Ashburnham, only 2 houses are without power.
Gardner MA Mayor Michael Nicholson with a Storm Update “There are (as of 8:23pm) 2,274 properties in Gardner that are without power with 99% expected to have power restored at 5pm tomorrow, Tuesday, January 24th. These properties are in 36 different areas of the City.
As a result, I have directed both the Gardner Senior Center, located at 294 Pleasant Street, and (new since the announcement) the Community Room of the Gardner Police Department, located at 200 Main Street, to be open as warming centers for residents that need to warm up while they are without power. These will be open from 7:30 am to 7:00 pm, Tomorrow, Tuesday, January 24th.
Mayor Nicholson reminded everyone about the parking ban in effect until 7am January 24th, that crews are out plowing and treating the streets, and that he and a group of Department Heads will be meeting in the morning to “evaluate the situation and determine the need for further warming centers, road conditions, supply of Salt after today in advance of Wednesday’s storm, and other aspects of what may need to be done in response to the storm. See previous article on this subject. .