Gov. Maura Healey credits 'teamwork' as state, Guard and utilities clear storm-hit Fall River

Gov. Maura Healey said state and local authorities mobilized an unprecedented response after a storm that left parts of southeastern Massachusetts with record snowfall and hurricane-force winds.

"This was a big-time storm," Healey said, adding that she activated the Massachusetts National Guard and set up incident command centers to coordinate with municipal officials. "We literally set up an incident command in different places, Fall River, Brockton, to specifically work with local officials on getting the snow cleared and getting people out and about."

Fall River's mayor told reporters the city had forecast about 18 inches of snow but received roughly double that, producing white-out conditions that left municipal plow drivers unable to see and slowed initial clearing work. The mayor credited state support, the Guard and mutual aid from neighboring states for helping the city "get off the dime."

Why it matters: officials said the storm's scale and wind-driven white-outs made a normal plow-and-salt approach insufficient in many neighborhoods. State leaders said they prioritized routes needed for emergency services while deploying heavier removal equipment where hard-packed snow required removal rather than plowing.

What officials reported: Healey said the state had about 211 pieces of equipment deployed, including loaders, dump trucks, plows and skid steers; Fall River had about 71 pieces with more arriving, and New Bedford had roughly 40 with additional units pending. The governor said the state's brine plant and tanker fleet were active to speed de-icing and that MassDOT had surged resources to meet requests for salt and equipment.

MassDOT incident commanders on the South Coast said crews were working two 12-hour shifts, and that improved weather had allowed teams to make "a big dent" in clearing in the previous 24 hours. Officials said some communities were shifting from emergency operations to general cleanup as priority corridors became passable.

Utilities and mutual aid: Healey thanked utilities including Eversource and National Grid and officials in New York, Vermont and Connecticut for sending crews; she said some repair work required winds to drop below about 35 mph before bucket-truck crews could safely restore service.

Power outages and shelters: The governor said outages peaked near 290,000 statewide and had fallen to about 58,000 at the time of the briefing. Nine warming shelters were open with roughly 420 occupants the prior night. Officials urged residents to call 211 for assistance and to follow local guidance on sheltering and safety.

Public-safety note: Healey said there had been at least one highway fatality Monday evening involving a person struck by a tractor-trailer; she also referenced a separate explosion in Taunton and said it was unclear whether that event was tied to the storm. Officials emphasized checking carbon-monoxide detectors and cautioned against risky shoveling, which can cause cardiac events.

What happens next: Officials said they would continue to redeploy equipment to communities still blocked by hard-packed snow, monitor shelter needs and work until neighborhoods and emergency routes were passable.