Montuori Proud Of Town's Response To Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy came through the region as advertised. High winds mixed with occasionally heavy rain combined to take down trees from one end of town to the other on Monday.

On many streets, such as Fiske Street, East Street, Chandler Street, Woburn Street, Brook Street, South Street and

More than 2,500 National Grid customers lost power at some point during the storm and at 1:30 p.m. Town Manager Richard Montuori said he believes National Grid is aiming to have 100 percent power restored by tonight.

On other roads, such as Henry J. Drive and Pike Street, the wires were safe but falling trees blocked the roadway. Police Dispatch also received many calls reporting trees falling on private property, damaging homes, porches and vehicles.

Much of the damage took place from 2 p.m. on, as winds picked up and gusts of more that 50 mph ripped across the region.

The storm kept DPW, Fire and Police personnel busy day and night, doing what they could to keep roads clear and residents safe. Montuori said he was very proud of the work that was done (and is still being done today) by the town employees.

"We were prepared and I thought our response was excellent," said Montuori.

Preparation certainly seemed to be the key. Armed with a detailed -- and what turned out to be accurate -- forecast Montuori began meeting with his department heads on Friday. That was followed by conference calls with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Friday and Saturday.

Extra emergency response personnel were scheduled, which put the departments in prime position for rapid response.

The storm damage reminded some   But Montuori said there were key differences, not the least of which was the absence of snow this time. Also, last year's storm took place on the weekend, which made staffing that much more difficult.

Montuori said this year's storm cleanup will prove significantly less expensive for the town.

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