The Cape unofficially lives under the mantra 'no one is coming over the bridge to help us' and as a result everyone starting working together.
— Chip Reilly, Emergency Preparedness Director, Barnstable County
Cape Catches Breath After Historic Blizzard
As power finally returns, Cape Cod takes a look at the Blizzard of February 23 and we find out how a behind-the-scenes structure helped us weather the storm
Click on image to watch news story.
28 February 2026 – CAPE COD, MA – A blizzard of historic proportions rolled onto Cape Cod Sunday night, pummeled Barnstable County with hurricane force winds throughout the day on Monday, dumped 17 to 20 inches of wet heavy snow, and knocked out power for more than 155,000. People will no doubt be referring to this as “The February 23rd Blizzard” for the next 20 years.
What damage did the storm do?
As fast as the snow fell and as hard as the wind blew, the real story of the storm was the damage those combined forces dealt – a widespread and days-long power outage that sent Cape Cod into a week of dark and cold nights. Towns ranged from more than 70 percent to fully 100 percent in the dark.
Trees fell, poles toppled, and the wind ripped wires every which way. Substations froze over; more than 1400 points of damage combined to create a winter nightmare. Even essential organizations like Cape Cod Hospital relied on generators to stay open.
What role did the MACC play?
Over at the Barnstable Multi Agency Coordination Center (MACC), a little-known but well-rehearsed process kicked into play. The Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee and its events-triggered MACC turns 15 sometimes turfy towns into a unified response during emergencies.
Resource sharing, regional shelters, and perhaps, most importantly, coordinated communication helps Cape Cod punch above its weight during moments like the Blizzard of February 23rd.
Did shelters open?
Outages forced hundreds to move to one of the region’s shelters for one, two, three or more days as houses went unheated. Many more visited one of the dozens of warming and charging centers for a warm beverage, battery refill, or simply to connect.
The CCRT shuttled people to shelters and moved more than 11,000 meals from the Family Table Collaborative in Yarmouth to shelters and warming stations from Falmouth the Provincetown, while the Steamship Authority moved utility crews to the Islands.
What happened with power restoration?
By Tuesday, more than 2000 utility and tree crews from western Massachusetts, New Hampshire and rolled on the Cape and Islands to support local Eversource and National Grid teams, but it took until the end of Friday to return the Cape to some semblance of normal.
What weather is coming next?
A warm front has already been pushing its way in, keeping temperatures more moderate than originally expected and melting some of the snow. The upcoming weekend should bring stable weather, with little more than a dusting of snow, with the potential for a smaller storm mid next week.
But the best news of all? The start of spring lies less than a month away.
Want more stories like this to your inbox? Click here to get the free weekly news update.
For more information:
Barnstable County storm recovery resources – https://www.capecod.gov/special-event/cape-cod-storm-recovery-resources/
