By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
As North Attleborough recovers from a historic 32-inch snowstorm, town officials are highlighting what they call a “tremendous team effort,” crediting municipal crews, volunteers and local businesses for keeping the community running.
The storm, which began on Feb. 22 and lasted through Feb. 23, surpassed the previous single-day record set during the historic Blizzard of 1978. Town Manager Michael Borg told the Town Council on Wednesday, Feb. 25, that preparation, coordination and community spirit made all the difference.
“We had 32 inches of heavy, wet snow. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” Borg said. “This was a pricey storm for sure, but a tremendous job was done.”
The town operated through its Emergency Advisory Board, meeting twice daily to monitor conditions and coordinate efforts among police, fire, schools, public works and the North Attleborough Electric Department [NAED], which reported one outage caused by a fallen tree, which was quickly restored.
Town Treasurer Christopher Sweet, speaking during resident and community comment, called the electric department “another unheralded” asset.
“The fact that NAED is always out there year-round maintaining and trimming trees is a great asset to the town,” Sweet said.
NAED General Manager Peter Schiffman spoke with the North Star Reporter, crediting both system upgrades and teamwork in keeping the lights on for residents.
“Our system is pretty firm — we’ve done a lot of hardening to make it more resilient,” Schiffman said. “Between that and the temperature drop keeping snow from sticking to trees and wires, we fared really, really well.”
About 33 employees staffed the NAED from Sunday night through Tuesday morning, sleeping on air mattresses and rotating crews as needed to respond to calls, he said.
“Our staff is very proud of the work they do,” said Schiffman. “ We have a kitchen downstairs — we made lasagna, our operations manager made soup, we hit the grocery stores to make sure everyone was fed. We got it done and made it work.”
Borg said the town remains in a state of emergency as recovery continues. Officials are compiling receipts and eligible costs in hopes that the state will pursue a federal disaster declaration. Should President Donald Trump accept this, it would allow the town to recoup up to 75% of storm-related expenses.
Cleanup continues
Borg said the Department of Public Works “led the way” during the storm, keeping roads passable despite the volume and weight of the snow. DPW Director Mark Hollowell said crews have shifted from plowing to full snow removal operations, removing snow to make room for pedestrians and potential future storms.
Overnight work in the downtown corridor — from Route 1 near Park Street to Chestnut Street — began Thursday, Feb. 26, to widen sidewalks and clear roads that had been reduced to one lane.
For the initial 30-hour storm response, Hollowell estimated roughly $244,000 was spent on manpower and equipment, using state emergency rates. Additional overnight removal work could add another $40,000 to $50,000, he said.
“It’s an impressive operation,” said Hollowell. “We’ve just been out there all week getting it done.”
Firefighters are working overtime to dig out hydrants buried beneath heavy snowbanks to ensure emergency access.
North Attleborough budgeted $250,000 for the entire 2025-26 winter season, with $500,000 set aside in free cash to cover potential snow and ice deficits.
Resident John Donahue, speaking during public comment, described the response as a team effort.
“DPW, fire, police — you name it,” he said. “To get 32 inches and be able to handle it the way we did — it’s a testament to the town,”
Snow Angels and small acts of kindness
Town Councilor Kevin McCarthy, who runs the Council on Aging’s Snow Angels program, said 12 senior residents signed up for help clearing driveways and walkways. Five volunteers, including McCarthy, assisted.
“I enjoy giving back,” McCarthy said. “I’ve always believed that if you can help someone and have the means to do it, you should help and not expect anything in return. That’s what I’m trying to do — what’s good for the town.”
Local restaurants also supported crews who worked long hours in tough conditions. At Mad Moose Saloon, owner Ceil Weeman offered free appetizers and sandwiches to first responders and town workers.
“It was a last-minute thought,” Weeman said. “My husband used to plow for the town, and my son works for the electric company. I know how hard it is when they’re out there.”
Though many workers were on the move and couldn’t stay long, Weeman said giving back to the town is something her business has long embraced through community events.
At The Meat Bar Marketplace, owners Kathy and Nelio Pereira-Vaz handed out 178 sandwiches in just an hour and a half.
“Our hearts are full,” they said in an online statement thanking police, fire, DPW crews, tree services and linemen — some of whom worked up to 47 hours straight. “This was our small token of gratitude. A hot lunch was the least we could do for the people who never stopped showing up when our community needed it most.”
The owner of Slice Pizza House, Yazid Ferhi, said offering free pizza during major storms has become a tradition.
“We called the police and fire departments and told them to come down,” Ferhi said. “Last storm and this storm we did free slices and drinks for any town workers and first responders. Around 15 to 20 people showed up. It’s always nice to help the town — especially a town that does such a good job.”
Other establishments, including Box Seats, remained open during the storm, providing warm meals and a place to regroup.
“We’re still recovering from this,” said Borg. “I can’t say enough about our DPW director and our crews — everybody who went out there to make sure this was well run and well communicated. It was a great team effort.”