Andover Schools Will Be Closed Again On Tuesday

ANDOVER, MA -- ANDOVER, MA -- With more than 80% of the town without power, Andover officials said public schools would be closed for a second straight day Tuesday in the wake of the overnight wind storm. National Grid is reporting that 33 high-tension transmission lines that run through the Merrimack Valley were knocked down in the storm, which is why Andover and many surrounding communities were hit so hard by the storm. The work to repair the transmission wires is estimated to take 72 hours.

In addition to canceling school on Tuesday Andover postponed trick-or-treating activities. In an update, the town said a new date would be scheduled for Halloween activities once the town has assessed progress with power restoration in coming days. The town also extended its property tax deadline until November 7.

By nightfall Monday, dozens of streets in Andover remained closed and the town's water treatment plant and sewer pumping stations were running on auxiliary power. Officials stressed that the water remained safe to drink. As if the storm wasn't taxing enough for town resources, he Andover Fire Department remained on scene at a hazardous waste tractor trailer fire on I-495 more than eight hours after it was first reported.

The town will keep Memorial Library open until 9 pm Monday night, and the library would be open from 9 am to 9 pm on Tuesday. The town said the Cormier Youth Center would open at 8 am Tuesday and both sites would serve as charging stations for residents who want to charge smartphones and other devices. Aandover Meals on Wheels was also working to check in on elderly residents in the community.

“If there is anything positive to take away from this, it is that temperatures are mild, and we have not had the extremely cold nights that accompany winter storms. That said, I still encourage our residents to check on their neighbors. Make sure your friends and neighbors are well, and see if they need anything,” Town Manager Andre Flanagan said in a statement. “Mother Nature, as she tends to, has sent us a curveball, and how we come together as a community to respond makes all the difference.”

Send your storm-related photos to mike.carraggi@patch.com.

Downed lines should be reported immediately to National Grid and to the Andover Police at (978) 475-0411. For questions related to power outages or electricity, contact National Grid at 1-800-465-1212.

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Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites)