Dangerous weather conditions Friday had state leaders in Vermont urging people to be home by late afternoon, and to stay home, with a flash freeze expected to make travel treacherous.
Electricity providers warned tens of thousands of ratepayers knocked offline it could be a multi-day power restoration process.
“I want to make sure that folks know that if they are out of power today, it is likely they will be out of power for more than one day,” warned Rebecca Towne of Vermont Electric Coop.
Today (Friday): Windswept downpours with gusts over 50 mph causing power outages. High in the 50s until a quick freeze this evening 6-8 PM. Overnight Friday Night: Early snow showers, icy spots, frigid wind gusting to 40 mph with a subzero wind chill. Actual lows in the teens by dawn. Saturday: Very cold wind under fair sky, Cape/Island snow showers. Highs in the 20s, wind chill 10s. Sunday: Continued cold with a biting breeze, sunny. Highs in the 20s, wind chill 10s.
Since those outages were overlapping with a sharp drop in temperatures, public safety officials reminded Vermonters left in the dark to ensure any generators are well-vented and to not use fire where it doesn’t belong — as in, don’t use it to heat up water pipes.
“So this year, for the holidays, give the gift of safety,” urged Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison. “Safety for yourself and for your family.”
NBC10 Boston
Massachusetts state officials work to clear water off a Storrow Drive on-ramp in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
NBC10 Boston/Stringer
A car and a falling tree collided in Wakefield, Massachusetts, early Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
Handout
An unoccupied pickup truck in Salisbury, Massachusetts, was crushed by a shipping container amid high winds and downpours overnight, police said Friday, Dec. 23, 2022. They warned about dangerous driving conditions.
NBC10 Boston
A house in North Andover, Massachusetts, where a tree fell amid high winds on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
Norton Police Department
In Norton, Massachusetts, winds knocked down the gazebo in the town square as well as trees onto roads amid a powerful storm on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
NBC10 Boston
A woman takes a picture of a wave crashing ashore on Winthrop, Massachusetts, amid a storm on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
NBC10 Boston
Waves crash ashore in Winthrop, Massachusetts, amid heavy flooding up and down the New England coast caused by an intense storm on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
WJAR-TV
Waves crash ashore at Narragansett, Rhode Island, amid a storm that was causing coastal flooding in New England on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
Town of Barnstable
Flooding in Barnstable, Massachusetts, as a storm sent water surging across New England’s coast on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.
Several roads in Salisbury were washed out during Friday's storm.
This sea foam in Wells, Maine, was one of the wildest images to come out of Friday's storm.
Rain water washed out a portion of Nutes Road in Milton, New Hampshire.
Swasey Parkway in Exeter, New Hampshire, was completely underwater on Friday.
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
Water floods a street during high tide, Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston. Winter weather is blanketing the U.S. More than 200 million people — about 60% of the U.S. population — were under some form of winter weather advisory or warning on Friday.
Norton, MA Police
@NEREVSKIPETE
Flooding Friday in Woods Hole, a neighborhood in Falmouth, MA.
Flooded roads in Provincetown.
Flooding in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Market Basket in North Andover, Mass., lost power Friday as shoppers ran out to grab last-minute Christmas groceries.
The overnight rain was too much for the North River in Salem, Mass., it spilled over onto Commercial Street, stranding at least four cars.
Vittorio George left an appointment at the courthouse in Salem and found his Cadillac SUV partially under water.
The wind was relentless in Portland, Maine, causing coastal flooding.
In the Merrimack Valley Friday evening, thousands of people were without power after the storm knocked out trees and utility poles, and took out power lines. National Grid says this was their hardest hit area.
Owen Thomas told NBC10 Boston’s John Moroney that he’s always wanted to kayak on Morrissey Boulevard. Thanks to Friday’s flooding, he was finally able to achieve his dream.
With ponding on the roads quickly turning to slush and ice with that plunge in temps, the governor pleaded with Vermonters to delay any non-essential travel Friday late afternoon or evening.
“Think of what the repercussions are of someone going out on the road at night, when they don’t need to, then, unfortunately, having an incident — an accident of some sort,” said Gov. Phil Scott. “And then tying up the road, so our essential services people, the line crews and so forth, can’t get through to get the power back on the way we so desperately need.”
Shelter and warming centers have been set up in a range of communities, including Norwich, Shelburne, Fayston, Bennington, Richmond, Swanton, Barre, Williston, Vergennes, Newport and Lyndonville for people who may be without power.
