News Flash

TOWN OF FALMOUTH STORM RECOVERY UPDATES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2026

4:00 PM

Lawrence School Warming Center Open 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM:

The Lawrence School, located at 113 Lakeview Ave will be open today. The warming center will have food available and provide charging for cell phones. Pets are not permitted at the warming center. 

Waquoit Congregational Church Warming Center 11:30 AM:

The Waquoit Congregational Church, located at 15 Parsons Lane, East Falmouth, will be open as a warming center today at 11:30am. Hot coffee and soup available while supplies last. Pets on a leash or in a carrier are welcome.

For those requiring overnight accommodation, two Regional Emergency Shelters are currently open to the public:

Anyone needing transportation assistance to the Falmouth warming center or one of the regional shelters should contact the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) at 508-385-1430 and select option 2. 

Snow Removal:

DPW reports approximately 80% of all Falmouth roadways have at least one lane plowed. Falmouth DPW, along with crews and equipment from other jurisdictions, will be working through Friday, February 27th to clear remaining residential and collector streets. 

Water Supply:

The Town does not anticipate any interruption to the water supply. Electricity to the Water Treatment Plant has been restored.

Power Restoration:

Eversource reports approximately 22% of Falmouth properties are without power as of 4:00 PM today. Eversource will continue to have crews working in Falmouth until power is restored to all properties. Eversource reports that power is expected to be restored for the entire town by 6:00pm on Friday, February 27^th with most locations restored sometime before then.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.falmouthma.gov

https://www.facebook.com/FalmouthEmergencyPreparedness 

Due to road conditions, curbside collection of trash and recycling will not take place from February 25 through March 1st. Pickup will resume on the regular schedule on Monday, March 2nd. 

TOWN OF FALMOUTH STORM RECOVERY UPDATES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2026

4:00 PM

Lawrence School Warming Center Open 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM:

The Lawrence School, located at 113 Lakeview Ave will be open today. The warming center will have food available and provide charging for cell phones. Pets are not permitted at the warming center. 

Waquoit Congregational Church Warming Center 11:30 AM:

The Waquoit Congregational Church, located at 15 Parsons Lane, East Falmouth, will be open as a warming center today at 11:30am. Hot coffee and soup available while supplies last. Pets on a leash or in a carrier are welcome.

For those requiring overnight accommodation, two Regional Emergency Shelters are currently open to the public:

Anyone needing transportation assistance to the Falmouth warming center or one of the regional shelters should contact the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) at 508-385-1430 and select option 2. 

Snow Removal:

DPW reports approximately 80% of all Falmouth roadways have at least one lane plowed. Falmouth DPW, along with crews and equipment from other jurisdictions, will be working through Friday, February 27th to clear remaining residential and collector streets. 

Water Supply:

The Town does not anticipate any interruption to the water supply. Electricity to the Water Treatment Plant has been restored.

Power Restoration:

Eversource reports approximately 22% of Falmouth properties are without power as of 4:00 PM today. Eversource will continue to have crews working in Falmouth until power is restored to all properties. Eversource reports that power is expected to be restored for the entire town by 6:00pm on Friday, February 27^th with most locations restored sometime before then.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.falmouthma.gov

https://www.facebook.com/FalmouthEmergencyPreparedness 

Due to road conditions, curbside collection of trash and recycling will not take place from February 25 through March 1st. Pickup will resume on the regular schedule on Monday, March 2nd. 

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                             MEDIA RELEASE

January 29, 2026

Falmouth Town Manager’s Office

TOWN OF FALMOUTH

Positive Identification of Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) in Falmouth

The Town of Falmouth, working with State and County partners, recently identified the presence of the Southern Pine Beetle in East Falmouth.  No larger than a grain of rice, the southern pine beetle (SPB) has become one of the most destructive forest pests in the Northeast.

Southern pine beetles were first detected in low numbers in Massachusetts in 2015, likely blown across Long Island Sound by southwest winds. For years, those small populations failed to gain a foothold. That changed in 2023, when favorable conditions allowed beetle numbers to surge, overwhelming pine defenses and killing trees across Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

Southern pine beetles attack trees in large numbers. A single beetle poses little threat, but together they overwhelm a pine’s resin defenses, burrowing beneath the bark to lay eggs and introduce fungi that hasten the tree’s death. Within weeks, new beetles emerge and move on to nearby trees, creating expanding clusters of mortality that can grow rapidly—up to 10 feet per day.

Although the current winter temperatures are not ideal for the spread of SPB, as temperatures begin to warm it is important to report the presence of pine tree damage in order to track any potential spread.  Falmouth Tree Warden Jeremiah Pearson advises that “The Town of Falmouth is now working in collaboration with Barnstable County officials to develop a local response plan and an online portal to educate residents on the signs of Southern Pine Bark beetle presence and to allow private property owners to report any suspected damage to trees on their property.”  

Until this local portal is established, residents are asked to report any potential pine tree damage using the Massachusetts DCR Forest Health Program Southern Pine Beetle reporting form at the below link.  

**Signs of SPB include the reddening of an otherwise green crown in pitch pine tree. This will be accompanied by needle-sized holes throughout the bark area; the holes are small but very visible. You may see sap if the tree is still actively defending itself; you may not if the tree is already deceased.

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/688810dbaae1430f86b595c1c57daf5c

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jeremiah Pearson, Falmouth Tree Warden

Jeremiah.pearson@falmouthma.gov

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