Braintree Focusing Now on Storm Cleanup

Despite receiving a foot and a half of snow from Thursday into Friday morning, Braintree escaped major problems related to the storm, though a coastal flood warning will peak at noon Friday.

“Overall we came through this pretty well," Mayor Joseph Sullivan said by phone Friday morning as he rode with DPW Director Tom Whalen on Howard Street.

"It was relatively quiet [last night]. People listened to the governor’s declaration and that allowed us to take care of the streets."

Sullivan said Braintree did not experience any power outages Thursday night, as far as he knew Friday morning, and that the town's emergency communications center at the police station fielded only a handful of calls.

Town offices, including Thayer Public Library and the schools, were closed Friday as crews worked to clean up the 16 to 18 inches of snow that fell on Braintree, including drifts of two feet in some places, Sullivan said.

Roadways should return to "semi-normal" by Saturday, the mayor said, and Thayer Library should open normally. Crews will work over the weekend to clear Braintree's schools. 

Still, Sullivan cautioned residents about driving in the aftermath of the storm, saying that because of the frigid cold – a high of 11 degrees Friday with wind chills below zero – many roads will remain slippery.