Winter Storm Hernando Strikes Nantucket, Thousands Remain Without Power

A powerful nor’easter hit Nantucket Sunday night and into Monday with blizzard conditions that left six inches of snow on the ground along with trees, telephone poles, and power lines. Approximately 11,000 properties were left without power at its peak.

The Town of Nantucket announced Tuesday afternoon that at least 14 telephone poles were brought down by the high winds, as well as numerous trees. As of Tuesday at 2:45 p.m., town officials said roughly 6,000 properties remained without power. As of Tuesday evening, National Grid was reporting 3,691 customers remained without power and that the estimated restoration of power to all homes was Wednesday, February 25th at 11 p.m.

There was moderate coastal flooding along the waterfront and at Jetties Beach, but it was the powerful wind gusts topping 80 mph that combined with heavy, wet snow that had the biggest impact on Nantucket residents. The highest recorded wind gust on the island was 83 miles per hour. Some of the most heavily impacted areas were Madaket and Tom Nevers.

The Steamship Authority and Hy-Line Cruises cancelled their services for all of Monday. While the Hy-Line cancelled all Tuesday trips, the Steamship's M/V Eagle made trips throughout the day - arriving with utility vehicles to assist the island's power restoration efforts. The Hy-Line said their services would resume on Wednesday.

Town offices and Nantucket Public Schools were closed on Monday and Tuesday. While town offices are scheduled to reopen Wednesday, schools remain closed due to power and heating issues, along with the landfill due to power issues.

While many roads have been cleared and are passable, tree debris and dangling wires remain in several areas across the island. Drivers are being asked to drive cautiously and remain alert for debris and utility crews. Power lines across the island are thickly covered and heavily weighed down by ice.

The varsity boys basketball team's home playoff game was rescheduled from Tuesday to Thursday, February 26th at 5:30 p.m. in the high school gymnasium.

The NRTA cancelled all of their services on Monday, but started back up on Tuesday at 1 p.m. on a limited schedule. A shelter at the Intermediate School was opened at 3 p.m. on Monday and closed on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Over a dozen island residents utilized the shelter, with some remaining overnight.

The Nantucket Cottage Hospital is back to being fully operational, including Urgent Access and all elective procedures. Dr. Lepore's office in the Anderson Building remained closed through Tuesday because it was without power.

Below are some photos taken by members of our staff, as well as readers who were out in the storm.