Thousands of Boston residents and businesses started their week in the dark Monday morning after a widespread power outage knocked out electricity across parts of the city, left some traffic lights dead and slowed the early commute. The utility said the outage began just before 6 a.m., with crews quickly dispatched to South Boston as restoration work got underway.
According to NBC Boston, Eversource said the interruption was tied to an underground equipment issue and at its peak hit more than 10,000 customers. The company told the station that service had been restored to around 3,000 customers while roughly 7,000 still had no power as repair crews continued working. Some intersections were left without functioning signals, backing up traffic for morning drivers.
Crews On The Ground In South Boston
Eversource crews were on site in South Boston isolating and repairing damaged underground equipment. Customers can monitor current outages on the Eversource outage map. The utility’s outage page also includes reporting instructions and safety guidance for anyone who sees sparks, smoke or other hazardous conditions.
Why Underground Gear Fails
Underground cable networks are vulnerable when moisture, salt and corrosion work their way into insulation or when aging equipment shorts out, a mix of problems that has previously led to manhole fires and outages in Boston. As reported by WCVB, Eversource has been working to replace manhole covers and harden its underground systems against those risks.
Safety Tips For Drivers And Residents
When traffic signals go dark, drivers are supposed to treat impacted intersections as four-way stops and follow standard right-of-way rules in the Commonwealth's driver's manual. For power-related hazards or to report an outage, customers should use the outage reporting page from Eversource or call the utility directly, and contact 911 if they spot smoke, sparks or other immediate dangers near manholes or electrical equipment.
Restoration Outlook
Crews continued repairs through the morning in an effort to bring remaining customers back online. NBC Boston reported that technicians had already restored thousands of accounts but said a full fix would require inspections and hands-on work inside the affected vaults and conduits. Officials did not offer a single citywide estimated time of restoration, and Eversource asked customers to hang tight while crews finished the job.
