Hurricane Sandy: Somerville Info Center

Cut up branches in your yard

Tuesday, 2:35 p.m.: If you have downed branches in your yard, cut them up into three-foot sections and put them out for your normal yard-waste pickup. Branches that come down in your yard are considered yard waste. That's according a spokersperson for the city of Somerville.

Schools open Wednesday

Tuesday, 2:35 p.m.: Somerville Public Schools were .

More photos, over 400 without power, damage to high school

Tuesday, 12 p.m.: There were 433 customers still without power as of 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, according to NSTAR's power outage map. 

You can see photos of Sandy's aftermath and add your own photos to the collection here. 

Thecity of Somerville's Facebook page has some photos of damage to city buildings, including the high school and City Hall.

Somerville schools closed Tuesday

Monday, 9:15 p.m.: The city of Somerville announced on Facebook and Twitter at around 9 p.m. Monday that public schools in the city would be closed on Tuesday, Oct. 30.

Trash pickup is happening Tuesday

Monday, 7:55 p.m.: Normal trash pickup will happen Tuesday, according to the 311 Somerville Facebook page. The city is recommending that people not put out bins until Tuesday morning, as wind gusts will remain strong Monday night.

Somerville's 311 page also reports that parking meter enforcement will resume at 10 a.m.  Tuesday.

No word, as of 7:50 p.m., on whether schools would be closed on Tuesday.

Flooding

Monday, 10:10 p.m.: Many parts of the city were flooding Monday night, according to scanner transmissions, including, but probably not limited to, parts of Ball Square, Central Street, Willow Avenue, the Washington Street underpass near Joy Street and Alewife Brook Parkway.

Power outages continue

Monday, 10:10 p.m.: As of 10 p.m., 974 customers were still without power in Somerville, according to NSTAR power outage map.

Monday, 7:50 p.m.: As of 6:45 p.m., 625 customers were still without power in Somerville, according to NSTAR power outage map. 

Monday, 6:10 p.m.: Power outages continued in Somerville Monday evening, with 537 customers without power, according to the 6 p.m. update of the NSTAR power outage map. WHDH was reporting strong winds would continue in the Boston area until at least 7 p.m., with winds dying down a by around 9 p.m.

Evacuations on Browning Road

Monday, 5:35 p.m.: WCVB reports that 10 residents have been evacauated from Browning Road in Winter Hill due to a tree that came down near a gas line.

Photos

Monday, 4:50 p.m.: The city of Somerville Tweeted this photo of damage to the roof of City Hall.

The city is recommending people stay indoors, as power lines, tree limbs and trees are coming down across the city. If you take take a photo from your window, share it here.

Downed trees, arcing wires as wind gusts strengthen

Monday, 4:40 p.m.: Across Somerville, strong gusts of wind are uprooting trees, knocking down limbs and causing electrical arcing in power lines, according to scanner transmissions.

Four houses being evacuated 

Monday, 3:50 p.m.: NSTAR is asking that four houses in Somerville be evacuated in order to make electrical repairs, according to Somerville Police and Fire scanner transmissions. 

Somerville Patch did not hear on the scanner where those houses are located. Leave a comment below if you know of evacuations taking place.

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Power outages affecting Winter Hill, Ten Hills, central part of city

Monday, 3:45 p.m.: As of 3:30 p.m., 1457 Somerville customers were without power, according to the NSTAR power outage map. The 311 Somerville Facebook page and city's Facebook page reported many of those outages were in Winter Hill and the Ten Hills neighborhoods.

According to scanner reports (and a walk outside), police and fire officials have been responding to several downed trees and wires across the city. Scanner reports indicate many of those downed trees and wires are happening along Highland Avenue and in the central part of the city.

Somewhere in Somerville, firefighters called for power to an entire neighborhood to be cut off so NSTAR workers could repair a main wire. Somerville Patch did not hear what neighborhood that was.

Roof damage at City Hall

Monday, 2:40 p.m.: Somerville City Hall has sustained some roof damage, according to a Somerville 311 constituent services phone call issued by Somerville Mayor Joesph Curtatone Monday at around 2:30 p.m.

The mayor's phone call said the Ten Hills neighborhood of the city has experienced power outages.

The mayor is advising residents to shelter at home and stay off the roads.

1454 Somerville customers without power

Monday, 2:25 p.m.: According to NSTAR's power outage map, updated at 2:15 p.m. 1454 customers were without power in Somerville.

Power outages increase in Somerville

Monday, 2 p.m.: Residents in parts of Winter Hill and the Ten Hills neighborhood have reported being without power on the 311 Somerville Facebook page.

Monday, 1:50 p.m.: NSTAR's power outage map showed that, as if 1:45 p.m., 309 customers were without power in Somerville. In Cambridge, 2093 were without power. According to scanner transmissions, a main power line wwas brought down on Mystic Avenue near Assembly Square.

If you lose power, contact NSTAR at 800-592-2000 or online.

Part of Mystic Avenue shut down

Monday, 1:45 p.m.: According to scanner transmissions, part of Mystic Avenue, near Assembly Square and the Home Depot, is shut down. Earlier, there were reports of arcing wires in this area. On the 311 Somerville Facebook page, one commenter said 500 Mystic Avenue was without power.

Wires and trees coming down, power outages in Cambridge

Monday, 1:40 p.m.: There are scanner reports of  trees down near the intersection of Highland Avenue and Lowell Street and on Quincy Street. There are also reports of wires down at 100 Central Street.

Monday, 1:25 p.m.: There are reports of wires arcing outside the former Circuit City in Assembly Square, according to Somerville Police and Fire scanner transmissions.

Monday, 1:15 p.m.: According to scanner transmissions, firefighters are continuing to respond to downed wires and trees in Somerville. There were reports of a wire arcing against a tree on Perry Street and wires down on Josephine Avenue.

As of 1:15 p.m., power outages remained fairly limited in Somerville, according to the NSTAR power outage map. In Cambridge, as many as 1046 customers were without power, according to the map. It had been up to 1394. In Somerville, 13 customers were without power, as if 1:15 p.m.

Roof blown off East Somerville building

Monday, 12:40 p.m.: According to Somerville Police and Fire scanner transmissions, a roof blew off the building at 14 Maine Ave. in East Somerville. Emergency responders and a building inspector were on the scene.

City offices closed, some Tuesday events cancelled

Monday, 12:30 a.m.: Somerville has closed all city office for the rest of Monday, according to an announcement from the mayor's office. Public safety departments, the Department of Public Works, the mayor's office and the city's office of communications remain open.

A Tuesday voter information forum scheduled to take place at the Council on Aging has been cancelled, the announcement says.

The East Broadway Groundbreaking ceremonies originally scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed, the city announced earlier.

Downed trees and wires, a few car accidents

Monday, 12:40 p.m.: Brian Gifford, on Facebook, reported that Austin Street off Lower Broadwway is closed. By about 12:50 p.m. it was open again, he reported.

Monday, 12:30 p.m.: Reports of downed tree on Marshall Street.

Monday, 12:25 p.m.: Firefighters and police continue to respond to some downed wires and tree limbs, according to scanner transmissions. These include reports of downed wires or hazardous conditions on Hinkley Street, School Street and Maine Avenue.

There were reports of a tree limb hanging across the street on wires on Adrian Street, a downed tree on Stanford Terrace, and a road closure at Benedict Street. There were reports of a minor car accident near Target.

Monday, 11:30 a.m.: According to Somerville Police and Fire scanner transmissions, firefighters continue to respond to isolated downed wires throughout the city, including on Franklin Street and Marion Street. There are also reports of a fallen tree on Evergreen Avenue in Winter Hill and a car accident at the intersection of Somerville Avenue and Mossland Street.

Early reports of isolated downed wires

Monday, 11 a.m.: According to Somerville Fire and Police scanner transmissions, there have been some isolated reports of downed wires in the city. There were reports of wires torn off a building on Lowell Street at about 10:58 a.m. Earlier, at around 10:20 a.m., there was a report of wires down in Davis Square.

According to NSTAR's power outage map, updated at 11 a.m., no customers in Somerville were without power, though 459 in Cambridge were without power.

MBTA to close at 2 p.m.

Monday, 10:15 a.m.: The MBTA will close down all service at 2 p.m. Monday afternoon, according to the MBTA's Twitter feed, @mbtaGM, and mbta.com. The MBTA's website says, "Customers are encouraged to make final MBTA trips as early as possible to ensure safe arrival at their destination."

See NSTAR power outage map

Monday, 9:55 a.m.: According to NSTAR's power outage map, one customer in Somerville was without power Monday morning, shortly before 10 a.m. In neighboring Cambridge, as many as 842 customers were without power shortly before 9:30 a.m. Work crews seem to have fixed much of that problem, as by 9:50 a.m. that number was down to 96. See the map here.

Somerville declares state of emergency

Sunday, 8 p.m.: The city of Somerville Sunday night declared a state of emergency, effective 1 a.m. Monday. Trash pickup will begin at 5 a.m. Monday to clear debris before high winds begin midday Monday. The city asks residents to put away trash cans by 10 a.m. Monday. It asks people to "shelter in place" during the storm. More here.

Somerville public schools closed Monday

Sunday, 5:50 p.m.: The following information is according to the Somerville school district: Somerville Public Schools will be closed on Monday, Oct. 29, due to Hurricane Sandy. All afterschool and evening programs are also cancelled, including athletic events and adult evening courses. As for Tuesday, Oct. 30, the school district will post updated information about Tuesday schedules on the district's website (www.somerville.k12.ma.us) and on each school home page by 6 p.m. Monday.

Libraries will be closed on Monday, too, according to a constituent services 311 phone call issued Sunday night.

Senior centers are closed Monday, according to a Facebook comment form the Council on Aging.

Some useful Somerville phone numbers and websites

• Emergencies: 911
• Flooding, downed trees and branches: 311
• Report power outage: Contact NSTAR at 800-592-2000 or online.
• Information from city: City website. Sign up for constituent services phone calls to receive important storm information. City Facebook page. City Twitter feed. City's constituent services 311 Twitter feed. City Cable TV is on channel 13 for RCN and Channel 16 for Comcast.
• Hurricane preparation and safety.
• Somerville preparation measures and safety information.

Hurricane safety for pets

Somerville Animal Control shared this link about keeping your pets safe during a hurricane.

Check Somerville Patch for storm updates

As we keep an eye on Hurricane Sandy, we want to make sure that Somerville stays connected. For live updates during the storm, be sure to 'like' Somerville Patch on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

As you send us messages through social media and email (chris.orchard@patch.com), we’ll make sure the information is added here. Check the comments section for updates.

If you notice wires down or a tree across the road, please alert authorities (call 911 if it's an emergency), and then let us know so we can spread the word quickly. You can comment right on this story to make sure readers know what’s going on in your neighborhood.

Somerville Patch is all about connecting neighbors, so we hope you’ll find this information helpful it the storm gets bad. Stay safe Somerville!