For Evacuees, Few Answers On What's Next After Gas Explosions

MERRIMACK VALLEY, MA — More than 24 hours have passed since thousands of residents of Andover, North Andover and Lawrence were told to evacuate immediately, driven to seek shelter after homes began exploding and fires erupting in one neighborhood after another. But as the sun set on Friday, many still had no idea how soon they could expect to be back in their homes. Days? Weeks?

About 8,000 people were forced out of their homes by what has since been blamed on a disastrous over-pressurization of gas lines. Many went to stay with relatives or at hotels, but hundreds headed to makeshift shelters in in Andover and North Andover, where local volunteers and Red Cross disaster relief were waiting with cots, water, food and other supplies and training.

As the day wore on Friday, and uncertainties grew, many evacuees grew more anxious.

"We're just waiting to hear when we can go back home," said Lara Wysong, who spent Thursday night at one of the Whittier Court shelters in Andover.

"I shouldn't be complaining, but I'm frustrated," said Micheline Cordiero, who also stayed in the shelter. "I don't know the whole story yet, but this takes away my freedom."

Stephen Bryant, the CEO of Columbia Gas, said in a press conference Friday afternoon that the company was making some progress in dealing with the gas-line problems.

"I expect to have people back by Saturday or Sunday night," he said.

But state and local officials were skeptical. Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera blasted the company's response to the crisis, and Gov. Charlie Baker was so disappointed that he declared a state of emergency and put Eversource, the electric utility, in charge of the recovery operation. Head of Eversource later said in a press conference they planned to work through the night and help get people back into their homes this weekend. But getting life back to normal, and turning the gas on? That could take weeks, he said.

A number of residents in Andover and North Andover have gotten word that they can return home, but for many others it's still up in the air. Rivera told Patch that South Lawrence residents have not been permitted to return to their homes for good, although some have been allowed brief visits to pick up necessities.

Some residents showed up at one of the senior centers on Friday after getting reports that they could go back into their homes to get medications or necessities. They piled on city buses temporarily taken out of regular service to go back to their neighborhoods.

The bus driver told them the bus would pick them off where he dropped them off on the side of the now deserted road in Lawrence. But many waited a long time for its return. On South Union Street, four women stood holding plastic bags and garbage bags, hoping to get picked up. They said they'd been waiting for an hour.

They watched as only the occasional police cars and fire engines made their way down the blocked Lawrence street.

"We don't know if they forgot about us," said one woman.

As teams of gas technicians, police officers, locksmiths, and firefighters made their way from home to home, knocking on front doors and checking gas meters in North Andover and Andover, residents walking or driving by pulled over to thank them.

For many, that brief contact was also the only opportunity to get the answers they had been waiting hours for, but the crews often said they didn't know much more than the public.

Brenda Charest, who got her 93-year-old father out of their house in North Andover after she smelled gas, was one of the few who was able to get hold of a Columbia Gas representative on Thursday night.

"They said, 'Just get out. Grab your things, your pets, and go,'" Charest said. "He was actually kind of nice."

Ryan Williams, who lives on Concord Street, was set to begin moving into his new home on nearby Court Street this weekend. He hadn't been to either one since the evacuation.

"Both of my houses could be decimated," he said.

Red Cross and senior center officials and first responders at the command center in Lawrence, meanwhile, said they're prepared for what may come until they're no longer needed.

Read this: Explosions Prompt Mass Evacuation In Merrimack Valley

• What Caused The Explosion?
  
• It's A Ghost Town
  
• For the Andover street by street list of cleared homes click here.

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Tips for those with from the Merrimack Valley:

Friday evening Attorney General Maura Healey released some tips for those impacted and pledged to help.

“The state’s first priority is to ensure the safety of the Merrimack Valley, assist fire victims, and restore power and gas to residents,” Healey said. “While state and federal safety regulators determine the cause of these explosions, my office will serve as a resource for homeowners, renters, and all residents trying to rebuild and recover from this disaster.”

Healey told anyone who wished to help to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Advocacy & Response Division for guidance on smart charitable giving to assist victims.

Tips for Homeowners Who Suffered Damage

• If your home has been damaged or destroyed, it is important that you make a list as soon as possible of valuable items in your home (furniture, jewelry, electronics, cash, etc.). This will help complete claims paperwork later.
• Keep all receipts for any money you spend related to this emergency, such as hotel bills, monies paid to hospitals, replacement clothing or baby supplies, etc.
• If possible, document any damage with pictures or videos and do not dispose of any damaged items unless instructed otherwise.
• Use reasonable means to save and preserve property that has not already been destroyed. For example, if possible, board or tarp open areas exposed to the elements to prevent water damage.
• Public adjusters may attempt to contact you and offer to handle your insurance claim on your behalf. Public adjusters are supposed to act as your representative in dealing with an insurance company in exchange for a percentage of your insurance settlement. There is no requirement that you hire a public adjuster to handle your claim, but if you decide to enter into an agreement with a public adjuster, please read the contract carefully before signing it.

Tips for Displaced Renters

• Many renters in the region may be unable to safely occupy their homes for days or weeks, depending upon the extent of the damage. Some housing may be permanently uninhabitable.
• Renters should contact their landlord and notify them in writing about the extent of damage to rental units.
• Residents may want to document damage with photographs from their unit, if the unit can be entered safely.
• If units are uninhabitable, renters should discuss alternate housing that the landlord can provide or withholding rent while the renter finds other housing.
• Renters should review the terms of their leases to hold informed conversations.
• All rental housing in Massachusetts must meet state standards for health and safety.

Make Smart, Safe Charitable Contributions to Support Victims

• Never give to a charity you know nothing about. Well-established charities with experience in disaster relief, community foundations, or organizations established with support from government agencies are generally a good choice. One example is the Lawrence Emergency Fund of the Essex County Community Foundation.
• If you are contributing over the internet, make sure that the website you are visiting belongs to a legitimate and established charity.
• Most crowdfunding sites are not charities and many typically take a percentage of your donation as a fee.
• Ask lots of questions. How much of the money goes to the charity and how much to a professional fundraiser? Ask if your contribution is tax deductible and what the charity intends to do with any excess contributions that might remain after the victims’ needs are addressed.

• Beware of social media posts or emails soliciting donations to copycat organizations or fake websites.

• Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone soliciting money.
• Never pay by cash. Pay by check or credit card and make a check out directly to the charity, not the fundraiser or any other individual. Specify, on the check and in writing, whenever possible, the purpose of your donation.
• Visit the Donating to a Charity page on the AG’s website.

For more information or assistance, contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Advocacy & Response Division’s Consumer Hotline at 617-727-8400. They are open from Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

• Patch Staff Mike Carraggi contributed to this report.

Photo of the Youth Center gym ready with beds in Andover by Jenna Fisher/Patch Staff