Blizzard of '26 Closed Town Offices, Schools

Town services in Rehoboth and Seekonk were severely impacted after the February 22nd blizzard dumped over 30 inches of snow on both communities.

Rehoboth Town Hall and the Council on Aging were closed for a week due to the storm.

On February 23rd, numerous power outages were reported to National Grid. 231 customers were impacted. The outages were on Pine St, Tremont St, Homestead Ave, Hillside Ave, Cross St, Sweeney Road, Talbot Drive, Agricultural Ave., Walker St, and Finnigans Way.

Selectman Lenny Mills praised the town’s Highway Department for their efforts to clear the roadways.

“Due to investing in the right equipment and maintaining it for optimal readiness, Team Highway has successfully delivered uninterrupted services throughout the storm and will continue to provide additional services this morning,” Mills wrote on his Facebook page February 24.

“We are securing additional heavy equipment,” read a post on the Town’s Facebook page. “Our (Department of Public Works) crews have had heavy equipment operating since yesterday. However, standard plow trucks were getting stuck or simply could not move this unprecedented amount of snow.”

“Official reports indicate Seekonk received approximately 30 inches of snow; and that does not account for snow drifts reaching 5 to 6 feet (or more) in some areas. This was a historic blizzard, and conditions on many streets reflect that reality. Several neighboring cities and towns are facing the same; if not worse; conditions. This storm impacted the entire region.”

“This was an unprecedented storm,” read a post on the Police Department’s Facebook page. “As a result, it calls for unprecedented patience. We understand many roads are unplowed. However, we don’t control what gets plowed, when or how. DPW is doing their best and they are doing a great job.”

Dighton-Rehoboth Regional Schools remained closed for the week and reopened on March 2.

On February 25, School Superintendent Bill Runey said “the safety of first responders, DPW workers, and our facilities team is our priority right now. We have begun cleanup efforts on each of our three campuses, but we have a long way to go.”

Seekonk Town Hall and the Senior Center were closed for a week. Scattered power outages were reported.

Seekonk schools were closed for four days. They reopened on a two hour delay on February 27.

“The schools’ Facilities Team is working with a contractor and their heavy equipment to gain safe access to the school buildings, as DPW rightly has their focus on getting your streets safe and clear,” Superintendent Rebecca Kidwell said on February 23. “The work began at Martin and has progressed to Seekonk High, with plans to keep heading north.  We will also be working to clear the North and Pleasant Street schools.  As the team gains access to the buildings, we must ensure that the heat works, plumbing is still in good condition, and roofs are safe.  Additionally, our Tech Services team will be working to ensure that the network bounces back from power outages.”

“Please bear in mind that our 300+ educational staff members are spread across southern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, working to get their own vehicles and driveways clear, waiting for their neighborhoods to be cleared as well.  This will be a long duration cleanup, but it is our goal to provide the opportunity for your children to return to the buildings as soon as we can,” Kidwell added.