Power Outages Hit Barnstable Amid Windy Pre-Christmas Storm

BARNSTABLE, MA — It's already been a busy morning for Eversource employees in Barnstable, as over 2,000 people were without power before 9 a.m. amid a windy pre-Christmas storm.

As of 9:15 a.m., that number has fallen to just over 1,600 customers without power, according to the company's outage map. Over 10,000 customers are affected in the Eastern Massachusetts region, according to the map.

"We're ready to respond to power outages as heavy rain and strong winds impact the state tonight and tomorrow," Eversource officials said on Thursday.

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency officials reported that over 26,000 customers were without power as of 6 a.m.

"We are starting to see pockets of power outages. Get those electronics charged and if you are headed out, please drive with care and attention," Barnstable officials said.

The National Weather Service is reporting early wind gusts of 36 mph in Barnstable, and officials are warning that this storm could create conditions that result in downed power lines and tree branches.

The National Weather Service on Wednesday issued a Coastal Flood Watch that included the threat of minor to moderate flooding around the time of the Friday late-morning high tide, flooding of vulnerable shoreline areas on Friday, and "significant" beach erosion.

Up to 3 feet of inundation could coincide with the high tide on Friday morning, according to the weather service.

Cape Cod is expected to be hit with rain starting late Thursday night into early Friday afternoon with winds whipping between 60 and 65 miles per hour.

"Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are possible. Travel could be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles," the weather service said.

Read more: Coastal Flooding May Hit Cape Cod, Islands During Pre-Christmas Storm