Cape Cod residents without power after blizzard turn to neighbors, warming shelters
Days after the Blizzard of 2026, much of Eastham on Cape Cod remains without power as crews worked to repair extensive damage caused by powerful winds that toppled trees and knocked down power lines across town.
A drive through Eastham won't have you stopping at any traffic lights or businesses, with the Cape Cod community at 85% without electricity as of Wednesday afternoon. They started the day at 98% of people without power.
Severe damage to power grid after blizzard
"This was a pretty significant storm for us, severe damage to our power grid, a lot of trees down," Eastham Police Chief Adam Bohannon said.
More than 290,000 customers in Massachusetts lost power after Monday's blizzard. There were still more than 128,000 power outages in the state at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, according to MEMA.
Bohannon said the past two days have focused on checking on seniors and coordinating the clearing of roads and removing fallen trees to allow power crews access.
"Anytime you sustain this much damage to the power grid, there's going to be a day or two of evaluation, they have to make sure what they are restoring is not putting other people in danger with wires that are still on the ground, and there is a method to it," Bohannon added.
The storm's impact is visible throughout town. Residents like Dan Davis said several trees crashed onto his driveway during the storm.
"We were right directly northeast here, so we got the brunt, direct hit right here," Davis said. "We've weathered a few good blows here, but this is the second [storm] I can remember like this basically a winter hurricane."
Davis has been relying on a generator to keep his home powered. He has also opened his home to a neighbor in need.
"They have given me a camping bed, I've got food, they got everything, and they just opened the door and brought me in," said Ajia Parmenter.
Eastham warming shelters open
Community support has also been on display at the local library, which has been operating as a warming shelter and reached capacity throughout the day.
"It was what 33 degrees," said Patricia Lynn, describing the temperature inside their home before they came to the library.
"It's been gradually getting colder and colder, so it's pretty brutal," she added.
Two warming shelters and an overnight shelter in town have provided critical relief for residents without power.
"This is a godsend, the big thing is getting warm, charging devices, snacks, coffee was the big one, coffee this morning and just seeing other people," Lynn added.
Power crews were seen making progress in Eastham Wednesday, but officials say full restoration is not expected until Friday night.