Gov. Maura Healey and Fall River leaders credit coordinated response after record snowfall

Gov. Maura Healey and Fall River officials on Tuesday credited an array of state, local and interstate resources — including the Massachusetts National Guard and MassDOT — for making rapid progress clearing roads and restoring services after what they called an unprecedented snowstorm.

"We wouldn't have gotten off the dime without the help of Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll," Mayor Paul Kugan said, thanking state teams and mutual-aid partners who arrived with heavy equipment and personnel.

The governor described the storm as "a big-time storm," with southeastern Massachusetts seeing historic snowfall combined with hurricane-force winds that produced white-out conditions. She said the state activated the National Guard, set up incident command posts in Fall River and Brockton, and surged resources statewide to support municipal crews.

Officials provided the following operational figures during the briefing: about 211 pieces of state equipment were deployed statewide, including 71 in Fall River; New Bedford had about 40 pieces of equipment with 10 more reported en route; MassDOT said its operations involved more than 200 pieces of equipment and some 400 personnel on rotating shifts. Gov. Healey also said statewide power outages peaked at roughly 290,000 after the storm and were down to about 58,000 at the time of the briefing.

"We have 211 pieces of equipment deployed," Gov. Healey said. "We're talking about loaders and dump trucks and plows and skid steers." Jonathan Guliver, the under secretary and highway administrator who was cited by the governor, was singled out for coordinating state road operations and prioritizing emergency routes.

MassDOT incident commander Joe Fod said the agency moved equipment and staff from across the state, coordinating with municipal partners and using contractors where needed. "The progress we've made over the last 24 hours has been really, really great," he said, adding that crews were working two 12-hour shifts to sustain continuous operations.

Officials also described other response measures: activation of the state brine-mixing plant and deployment of tankers to place liquid brine on problem areas, warming centers and shelters — nine shelters with roughly 4,420 occupants reported the prior night — and utility mutual-aid teams from other states and Canada assisting Eversource and National Grid with power restoration.

Gov. Healey expressed sympathy for victims of a house explosion in Taunton and noted state police and the state fire marshal's office were on scene. Officials reported one storm-related fatality on the Pike involving a tractor-trailer and reiterated public-safety warnings about carbon monoxide, clearing vents and shoveling safety.

Don Brantley, representing coordination staff, said many communities were shifting from active emergency operations to general cleanup as out-of-state equipment arrived, and officials expected wider progress within 24 to 48 hours. The governor urged residents to continue following local guidance and to call 211 for assistance where needed.

A brief question-and-answer session included an inquiry about people experiencing homelessness; Gov. Healey said they remained in shelters and that the state's FAST and homeless-response teams would continue to monitor conditions.

Officials closed by thanking volunteers, utility crews and interstate partners for their assistance and said state and local teams would remain in the region "as long as it takes" to restore services and clear streets.