State of emergency declared, Massachusetts National Guard deployed ahead of nor'easter

Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency on Sunday and deployed 200 members of the Massachusetts National Guard ahead of a potential blizzard that is set to slam the state.

Healey held a news conference Sunday afternoon at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) headquarters in Framingham. A potentially historic winter storm will dump snow on the state with blizzard conditions possible in some places.  

For the first time in four years, a blizzard warning has been issued by the National Weather Service in Massachusetts. The warning has been issued for the entire North and South Shores, Boston, Norfolk County, Plymouth County, Bristol County, Cape Cod, and Martha's Vineyard.

"This is a serious storm"

Parts of the state, including Boston, could receive 2 feet of snow. In addition, winds are expected to be an issue for much of Massachusetts. In parts of the state, winds may reach 40-55 mph. On Cape Cod, winds could whip higher than 70 mph.

"This is a serious storm. At the outset what I want to say to the public is this is one to take seriously," Healey said, adding that  "Unfortunately we do expect to see power outages and downed trees."

MEMA director Dawn Brantley also said power outages are likely.

"We are preparing for the possibility of significant power outages, hazardous travel, and coastal impacts. For residents, now is the time for you to act. Finalize your emergency plans today," MEMA director Dawn Brantley said.

Starting at 7 a.m. on Monday, MEMA's regional command centers will be activated to monitor and coordinate response around the state.

Because the southeast portion of the state is expected to be hit hardest, MEMA is deploying a local coordinator to Barnstable County to provide on-site support on Cape Cod.

Massachusetts state of emergency

The governor said declaring a state of emergency allows the state to respond quickly and deploy resources during the storm. The National Guard will be available to assist with rescue response and debris removal. 

Healey said all non-emergency government employees will be working remotely on Monday and she urges the private sector to do the same.

Like Healey, Massachusetts highway administrator Jonathan Gulliver urged people to stay off the roads.

"When you get the type of rates that we're expecting, 2-3 inches per hour, it is impossible for snow plows to keep up. So it will take time once that snow rate starts happening for roads to be cleared again," Gulliver said.

Lengthy cleanup expected

Gulliver added that while main roads will be down the pavement within several hours of the storm ending, it is going to be a lengthy cleanup process throughout the state.

"There is significant cleanup that is going to be required throughout the week on secondary roads, and especially local roads," Gulliver said. "Because of the snowfall we already have on the ground, there is not a lot of places for the snow to be put, which means we are in a removal operation as well as those cities and towns. So you can expect to see snow and ice equipment on the road for some time after this event is done."

Many schools in the state have already canceled class on Monday, which is the first day students were scheduled to return from their winter break. School cancellations are not an issue in New Hampshire for this storm as the state's winter break is just getting underway.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu held her own news conference Sunday, saying the storm could be "of historic proportions." The city declared a snow emergency and parking ban and said schools will be closed on Monday. Wu also asked drivers to stay off the roads.

Hundreds of flights were canceled in Boston at Logan Airport ahead of the potential blizzard.