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[h=4]Boston transit chief defiant after storm struggles[/h]Boston residents were wearily digging out again Tuesday after the third major snowstorm in two weeks weeks roared through the region, smashing records, paralyzing transit and shuttering schools and businesses.
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Two of Boston’s 10 biggest snowstorms ever recorded have occurred in the past two weeks and today’s could add to that number. (News, USA TODAY)
A man shovels snow in Boston on Feb. 9.(Photo: Kayana Szymczak, Getty Images)
Boston's embattled transit chief on Tuesday blamed an overwhelmed, century-old rail system and "Mother Nature" for the transportation struggles that have dogged the city during and after a series of historic snowstorms.
Beverly Scott, general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, drew strong criticism from Gov. Charlie Baker in recent days as the system struggled to function even on an abbreviated schedule.
Dozens of commuters were evacuated from a disabled train in Quincy on Monday after being stranded for more than two hours as the latest storm blasted the region with 2 feet of snow.
MBTA suspended subway, trolley and commuter rail service at Monday night and said the rails would remain closed Tuesday while crews repaired the system.
"I always say, if you ever think there is anybody else that you think can do better, they should do it," a defiant Scott said at a news conference Tuesday. "I can only say that everyone has been frustrated. We are going to get things up as quickly as we can.
"We are running an extremely aged system that is taking a pounding every day."
Scott said she had not spoken with Baker since the latest snow began Sunday. On Monday, Baker said he was "frustrated, disappointed with the performance of the 'T'," referring to Boston's rapid transit network.
Baker, who called out the National Guard on Tuesday to help with snow removal, said authority leaders had assured him they were prepared to keep trains running on an abbreviated schedule. Scott said she made no such assurances, saying no one could predict how severe the storm's impact would be.
After setting a seven-day snow record last week, Boston was hit with another 2 feet of fresh snow Sunday and Monday. That helped the city set a 30-day record of more than 70 inches — breaking the record set in 1978 by more than a foot.
Baker gave non-emergency workers a second consecutive day off Tuesday and declared a state of emergency, clearing the way for him to request snow-removal help from neighboring states. Schools were closed both days.
Emergency management officials urged residents and business owners to clear snow from roofs vulnerable to collapse. Several partial roof collapses were reported Monday as the snow depth reached "dangerous" levels, according to the weather service.
Rockland, Mass., just outside Boston, got the worst of the storm — 31 inches. More than 2 feet of snow was recorded in Quincy, Cohasset and Weymouth, Mass., the National Weather Service reported.
The state Department of Environmental Protection was providing waivers allowing snow-engulfed cities and towns to dump the snow into waterways.
Monday's snow depth in Boston was 37 inches, which was the city's largest depth ever recorded since weather records began.
Two potential snowstorms loom through the upcoming weekend in New England, according to Weather Channel meteorologist Jon Erdman. Snow is forecast to fall across portions of southern New England late Thursday and early Friday, the weather service predicts, with 4 to 6 inches likely in Boston.
Yet another snowstorm is predicted for later Saturday and into Sunday, one with the potential to deliver a "moderate accumulation" of snow across portions of New England, according to AccuWeather.
Boston has received 77.3 inches of snow — more than 6 feet — already this winter, most of which has fallen in the past three weeks, according to the National Weather Service. That's about three times the city's average and is more snow than has fallen in Syracuse, typically one of the USA's snowiest cities.
None of which has made Scott's job easy. Baker said he expects to have a "long conversation" with MBTA officials when the emergency has passed. Scott said she had no plans to resign.
"This ain't this woman's first rodeo," she said.
Contributing: Doyle Rice and William M. Welch; Associated Press
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