South Coast of Mass. Buried Under Feet of Snow

Residents in Fall River and other communities struggle to dig out after blizzard dumps 'astounding' amounts of snow.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Residents in Fall River, Massachusetts, and other South Coast communities are continuing to dig out after Monday's blizzard dumped several feet of snow on the region, leaving many roads impassable and slowing emergency response efforts. Entire neighborhoods were buried under snow, with some areas seeing around 3 feet in a single day.

Why it matters

The 'astounding' amount of snowfall has overwhelmed local resources, with plows and emergency crews struggling to clear side streets and restore power. Residents are frustrated by the slow pace of the cleanup, which is compounded by a shortage of plow drivers and the lingering effects of a previous storm.

The details

Crews are working to clean up the snow and restore power after the storm, but many streets remain untouched and impassable. Parking is also expected to be difficult for some time. The city of Fall River is offering some leniency with travel and parking bans as the cleanup continues, but officials acknowledge the extraordinary circumstances they are facing.

  • On Monday, the blizzard dumped several feet of snow on the South Coast region of Massachusetts.
  • As of Wednesday, the mayor of Fall River hopes most roads will be reopened by the end of the day.

The players

Jonathan Gulliver

Highway administrator for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Mariah Benjamin

A resident overwhelmed by the snowfall in the South Coast region.

Paul Coogan

The mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts.

Kim Driscoll

The lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.

Joe Silva

A resident of the South Coast region who has spent hours clearing snow.

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What they’re saying

“The amount of snow that they got in this area, in the South Coast, is just astounding.”

— Jonathan Gulliver, Highway administrator, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (nbcboston.com)

“We never overcame the last storm that that we got, either, so this is just adding onto what was already here.”

— Mariah Benjamin, Resident (nbcboston.com)

“Their frustrations are with Mother Nature, who just literally dumped a natural disaster right in all of our laps.”

— Paul Coogan, Mayor of Fall River (nbcboston.com)

“This one has been a doozy. It is going to take some time for us to clean out from all the snow that we've had, let alone in the streets that are still impassible.”

— Kim Driscoll, Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (nbcboston.com)

“This reminds you of the blizzard of '78, a little more extreme. I was in high school at that time, and it was fun, but now that I'm 67, it's not fun at all.”

— Joe Silva, Resident (nbcboston.com)

What’s next

The mayor of Fall River hopes most roads will be reopened by the end of Wednesday as cleanup efforts continue.

The takeaway

The 'astounding' amount of snowfall from the blizzard has overwhelmed local resources and infrastructure in the South Coast region of Massachusetts, highlighting the challenges communities face in responding to extreme weather events and the need for robust emergency preparedness and response plans.