Sen. Richard Ross Responds to Hurricane Irene

The text below is from a press release provided by the Office of Sen. Richard Ross (R-Wrentham). Ross represents Wayland.

Sen. Richard Ross (R-Wrentham) would like to inform his constituents of various issues related to the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. His office has been continuously fielding calls from local officials and constituents from several towns, regarding various issues in the wake of the storm – most prominently, the power outages. At this time, more than half of the towns in Ross’ district are still without power. Additionally, local officials have reported that their calls to National Grid have gone unanswered.

“I am greatly disappointed with this lack of communication between National Grid and municipalities,” said Ross. “I find it unacceptable that local officials have no access to information regarding power restoration and safety concerns in their communities.”

Ross has been in contact with Governor Deval Patrick’s office and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), as well as National Grid and NSTAR. He has sent several letters to National Grid and NSTAR on behalf of the towns who have alerted his office to specific communication and public safety issues. Each letter was also sent to Patrick’s office. Ross also requested a comprehensive list of all power outages in the cities and towns in his district, as well as the Plans of Action for restoring power and addressing safety issues in these communities.

Ross would like to make his constituents aware of various programs that some towns are offering to help their residents who are still without power. Wayland has opened the Town Transfer Station so residents can dump their debris for free. Wayland residents are also able to charge their cell phones at the Wayland Public Safety Building.

Please contact Ross's office at (617) 722-1555 or Richard.Ross@masenate.gov with questions or for more information.