Updated 10/31/12, 1:04 p.m. According to the mayor's office, 33 streets in Newton remain closed due to downed trees.

The map above has been updated with locations of those closed roads as well as traffic lights that are out or blinking.

10:30 a.m. According to @CarlWBZ on Twitter, the Green D Line is back up and running, without shuttle buses. 

In addition the alert about the shuttle buses has been taken down on the MBTA website. Shuttle buses will resume this weekend, though.

9:53 a.m. We've updated the map above using information from our power outage article to show where there are still outages in the city. We hope to update this map throughout the next couple of days with the power outage locations and where trees are down in the city. Please comment and let us know where power is out and roads are blocked. 

9:28 a.m. According to NSTAR's outage map, 8 percent of Newton's NSTAR customers are still without power, or 3,270 customers. This number has not changed much since our last few updates Tuesday afternoon and evening. 

According to NSTAR's website, the utility company hopes to have Newton back online by Thursday night. 

Newton Patch has checked in with the mayor's office and is hoping to get more updates soon about street closures and power restoration.

In lighter news, a reader who emailed Newton Patch this morning says Peet's Coffee in Newton Centre is giving out free cups of coffee due to the fact that they do not have power. 

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10/30/12, 11:08 p.m. Ward Elementary School will open on time tomorrow. Superintendent David Fleishman said in an email Tuesday evening that the school will either have power or run on a generator Wednesday. 

Ward was the only school that was without power as of Tuesday afternoon. 

At this time, according to NSTAR's outage map, more than 3,200 Newton customers are still without power. Or, about 8 percent of the city's total NSTAR customers. 

7:15 p.m. Here's the latest from Mayor Warren, who spoke in a press conference earlier today about the schools, power outages, closed roads and Halloween. 

As of 7:15 p.m., NSTAR's outage map says there are 3,140 customers in Newton without power. 

4:20 p.m. In a press conference earlier this afternoon, Mayor Setti Warren said school will definitely be back in session tomorrow.

At this time, Ward Elementary School is the only Newton public school without power and crews are working hard to restore power before start of school tomorrow. The Ward community will be updated by the School Department as to the status of the school's opening. 

Warren said he has not received a timetable yet from NSTAR indicating when all residents would be back online. According to NSTAR's website, Newton's power will be restored by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1.

In addition, Warren said Halloween trick-or-treating is still on tomorrow in Newton, but residents should take extreme caution while out on the streets. Warren advises families to go out as early as possible and if it is dark, to bring plenty of flashlights.

Fire Chief Bruce Proia said, as of 2 p.m., 21 Newton streets were blocked due to downed trees and wires. Roughly 30 houses or so, were hit by falling trees. 

Newton Patch will have more details from the press conference shortly.

4:12 The following is a statement from Comcast Vice President of Public Relations Doreen I. Vigue in regard to service outages in Newton:

At this time it appears most issues are directly related to commercial power outages, and for the vast majority of people, service should be restored as power comes back on to their homes.  We will be working in tandem with local emergency personnel and the power companies to assess damage and restore service as quickly and safely as possible.  Customers can visit www.comcast.com from any mobile device to check for outage updates and important information about their Comcast services, or can use our free text alert service to check for outages in their area by signing up atwww.comcast.com/alerts. If a customer still does not have service after power has been restored in their area, they can call us at 1-800-COMCAST.   We know our services are important to our customers, and appreciate their patience and understanding as we continue working to ensure service is safely restored for all.  

To help residents and emergency personnel cope with the aftermath of the storm, Comcast is opening up its XFINITY WiFi hotspots to anyone who needs them – including non-Comcast subscribers.

Comcast owns and operates thousands of WiFi hotspots in Comcast service areas in PA, NJ, DE, MD, DC, VA, WV, MA, NH and ME. Non-XFINITY Internet customers should search for the “xfinitywifi” network name and click on the “Not a Comcast subscriber?” link at the bottom of the Sign In page. Then select the “Complimentary Trial Session” option from the drop down list. Users will be able to renew their complimentary sessions every 2 hours through Wednesday November 7th.

For a map of XFINITY WiFi hotspots, which are located both indoors and outdoors in malls, shopping districts, parks, and train platforms, please visit www.xfinity.com/wifi

 

11:23 a.m. Mayor Setti Warren will be holding a press conference this afternoon at 2 p.m. to give an update on the city's response and cleanup efforts. We'll have updates for you from that press conference as soon as possible. 

11 a.m. ATTENTION NEWTON BUSINESSES: Are you open today? Let our readers know!

10:53 a.m.

Weigh in on the storm -- was it as bad as last year's "Snowtober"?

10:14 a.m. According to the Newton Farmers' Market Facebook page, the market will be closed today. This was supposed to be the final fall market of the season. The new winter farmers' market will start in two weeks.

10 a.m. According to NSTAR's website, crews in Newton are still assessing the damage and do not have an estimate yet as to when full power will be restored. We'll have updates for you as soon as they are available.

9:13 a.m. The overnight hours were not great for some Newton residents; according to Breaking News Network, multiple large trees came down on homes and cars last night in neighborhoods including Cherry Street, Farmington Road and Annapolis Road. 

A BNN alert also indicates overnight there was a tree into a house on Hatfield Road.

According to NSTAR's outage map, more than 4,500 Newton NSTAR customers are still without power (11 percent of total customers in Newton).

The scanner reports this morning indicate that the police and fire are as busy as ever checking on low-hanging wires, downed wires and trees that have fallen into houses. 

Please remember to be safe while traveling around today and to not touch any wires, as they might be live. If it is safe to do so, take a photo and add it to our gallery. 

Other helpful hurricane info:

• Hurricane Sandy: Important Phone Numbers in Newton
• PHOTOS: Hurricane Sandy in Newton
• How Long Will Food Last in the Fridge if You Lose Power?
• Newton Mayor Declares State of Emergency
• Tips to Extend Cell Phone Battery Life in Case of Power Loss

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10/29/12, 11 p.m. As storm winds start to die down a bit, NSTAR is reporting Newton 5,068 customers without power, still roughly 13 percent of the city's total NSTAR customers.  

Although service will not start until tomorrow morning, T-alerts are reporting that shuttle buses will replace trains on the D Line branch between Riverside and Reservoir stations (all Newton MBTA stops) due to trees down on wires. 

9:55 p.m. The Newton Fire Department is reporting via Twitter that the Emergency Operations Center at Newton Fire Headquarters had a high of 93 calls waiting this afternoon. As of 9:45 p.m. or so, it was down to 16 calls waiting. 

Newton Fire Dept. is also reporting that Centre Street by Cotton Street (BC Law campus) is nearly impassable. 

More than 5,200 Newton NSTAR customers are currently without power. 

According to the Boston Globe, Newton emergency officials had responded to over 400 storm-related phone calls as of 8:15 p.m.

9:33 p.m. Newton Public Schools will remain CLOSED on Tuesday due to the Hurricane. Newton City Hall will reopen and trash/recycling pickup will resume (with a one-day delay). 

No word yet on other municipal buildings, like the library, but we'll update as we can.

In addition, Newton Country Day School will be closed tomorrow. 

Mount Ida College will have a delayed opening at noon.

As of right now, 5,194 Newton NSTAR customers are without power, or roughly 13 percent of the city's total customers.

8:34 p.m. The MBTA is reporting via Twitter that all bus, subways and commuter rail trains will resume at the normal start of service Tuesday, for the exception of the Providence/Stoughton Commuter Rail line. More information is available on the MBTA website. 

8:04 p.m. The number of Newton NSTAR customers without power has reached 4,788, back up to roughly 12 percent of the total customers in the city. 

As of 8 p.m., school in Newton is still on for tomorrow. We will update as soon as we here more. 

7:05 p.m. Newton is back in the orange zone on the NSTAR power outage map, with 12 percent of the city without power, or almost 4,600 customers. 

6:58 p.m. There have not been any official announcements on whether school will be canceled tomorrow. Newton Patch will have more information as soon as it is available. 

6:50 p.m. As of 6:50 p.m., more than 4,000 Newton NSTAR customers are without power. 

Sandy will likely pick up in intensity tonight -- we have the latest forecast here.

Forecasters have been warning that Monday evening would be New England's moment of most severe intensity for Sandy. That prediction seems to be right on-target.

6:29 p.m. There are still plenty of reports of trees down, trees on fire, wires down and roads blocked. Please stay safe and check our map above to see if there's damage near you.

In the meantime, check out these tips on how to extend your cell phone battery in case you lose power. 

5:41 p.m. Newton's power outages have now dropped to 10 percent of the NSTAR customers in the city, or just over 3,800 customers. 

In addition, crews were sent out to California Street just a few minutes ago for a reported house fire at the corner of California and Bemis Streets. The incident ended up being a pole fire and NSTAR has been notified. 

5:23 p.m. Newton has moved into the orange zone on the NSTAR power outage map -- roughly 11 percent of the city's NSTAR customers, or 4,432 customers, are currently without power. 

5:11 p.m. NSTAR is reporting 3,758 Newton customers are without power, or roughly 9 percent of the total customers in the city. Check our map above for some areas that are affected and tell us where the power outages are in Newton.

Meanwhile, we've launched a Massachusetts-wide live blog that is updating with coverage of the Hurricane throughout the afternoon and evening.

In addition, @NewtonRecycles reports via Twitter that trash/recycling pickup will resume in Newton tomorrow and will be on a one-day delay for the rest of the week.

4:39 p.m. Where are the power outages in Newton? Tell us!

4:06 p.m. According to NSTAR's outage map, roughly 8 percent of Newton customers are without power (3,103 customers). 

In addition, @wlsboston reports via Twitter that power is out in Newtonville "at least" between the Newtonville stores and Commonwealth Avenue. Flooding is also reported on the North side of Commonwealth Avenue near Walnut Street.

WHDH is reporting via Twitter that sustained winds in Boston are coming in at 43 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. 

3:20 p.m. According to scanner reports, there is significant flooding at the intersection of Chestnut Street and Beacon Street due to leaves blocking storm drains. The traffic lights are also out at this intersection. 

In addition, a large tree has come down on a house across from 16 Cavanaugh Path. The family of five will stay with a neighbor, reports said. 

Scanner reports also indicate a large tree has come down across from Our Lady's, near the intersection of Washington Street and Adams Street. The tree is completely blocking the westbound side of Washington Street and taking out the traffic lights at that intersection. 

According to NSTAR's power outage map, more than 1,800 Newton customers are currently without power. 

3:10 p.m. 1,633 Newton NSTAR customers are without power at this time. 

In addition, scanner reports indicate traffic lights are out at Chestnut Street and Beacon Street. Make sure to check our map above for more traffic issues.

2:47 p.m. More than 1,500 NSTAR customers in Newton are now without power. 

2:38 p.m. According to NSTAR's power outage map, there are 1,366 customers in Newton without power. 

A tree and wires have also come down at 1326 Walnut St., landing on a house. It was initially reported the tree and wires also came down on an NSTAR vehicle, according to scanner reports. However, crews responding report that there is no NSTAR vehicle and no one is trapped. 

2:18 p.m. According to its Facebook page, Whole Foods at Four Corners will be closing at 4 p.m. today.

In addition, B Street Restaurant and Dunn Gaherin's will remain closed. 

Both Bread & Chocolate Cafes are also closed today as well as Coffee Corner.

Comella's will be closing all locations (including Chestnut Hill and West Newton) as of 4 p.m.

2:08 p.m. We're collecting readers' photos of Hurricane Sandy in Newton. Please add your photos to our gallery! (But be careful if you're taking them). 

As of 2 p.m., there are 139 Newton NSTAR customers without power. We've heard of power outages in Newton Highlands and Newtonville. 

1:37 p.m. Scanner reports indicate there is a house fire at 41 Sunhill Lane. Only one line is run at this time.

Per the @NewtonFireDept Twitter feed, the fire is at 11 Sun Hill Lane. The power service was torn down from a house and there was a small fire in the wall by the service. Holding E-10 and L-2.

Crews responding to the scene reported many wires down in the cul de sac around the home.

Newton Patch will have more info on this as soon as it is available. 

1:13 p.m. According to the scanner, the calls for downed trees and wires are starting to pick up. There does not appear to be any major incidents at this time, but the Fire Department is responding to multiple calls for blown transformers (see map above for more info). 

According to the NSTAR power outage map, only 18 customers in Newton (out of a total of 39,847) are currently without power. 

12:50 p.m. Here is a list of important Newton phone numbers you should know during the hurricane. 

12:30 p.m. The mayor's office issued a statement this afternoon with more information on the state of emergency. The notice also reminds residents to stay off the roads, if possible.

 The following statement was just issued by the mayor's office:

Effective 8 a.m. this morning, Mayor Warren has declared a State of Emergency in the City of Newton.

This declaration allows the city to request additional resources from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) to ensure personal/property safety, as well as allowing for reimbursement of costs, if allowed by federal authorities, for storm related expenditures. In addition, this declaration serves as an advisement to residents as to the severity of this event.

Please note, a parking ban is not in effect. However, it is advisable to keep cars off the street if possible.

At 2 p.m. Mayor Warren and staff will be at Fire Headquarters, Newton’s Emergency Operations Center, and will be available for any questions related to the city’s preparation and response to the hurricane.

Fire Headquarters is located at 1164 Centre Street in Newton Centre, second floor.

12:26 p.m. The Mall at Chestnut Hill will close early today, at 1 p.m., according to their Twitter feed and Facebook page.

11:46 a.m. According to scanner reports, a tree just fell on a police cruiser near the intersection of Washington Street and Walker Street. The officer got out of the vehicle just before the tree fell on the car. 

The Newton Police Dept. has confirmed this incident on Twitter. 

11:41 a.m. It appears Hurricane Sandy is picking up some steam as it moves closer to New England. Read the latest info and forecast here.

11:27 a.m. Mayor Setti Warren has officially delcared a state of emergency in Newton. 

10:52 a.m. The Mall at Chestnut Hill is currently open and operating under normal business hours. However, the following stories are closed: CUSP, Quadrum, Crate and Barrel, Ross-Simons, Sur la Table, Brooks Brothers, Apple, Eileen Fisher, Solstice, Vineyard Vines, Sign of the Dove, Tumi, Banana Republic, LUSH, Papa Razzi, Lucky Brand, Le Strada and Kate Spade.

10:48 a.m. The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail Co. (MBCR) notes on its Twitter feed that all trains scheduled before the 2 p.m. shutdown are expected to depart and complete their entire routes.

10:14 a.m. Wondering how long your food will last in the fridge if the power goes out? Here is some info from the USDA.

10:07 a.m. The MBTA will suspend all service as of 2 p.m. This includes bus, subway and commuter rail.

9:57 a.m. We have the latest on Hurricane Sandy's path and what to expect.

9:55 a.m. In addition to Newton schools and municipal buildings, here is a list of some other local resources and businesses that are closed today (per Facebook):

• NewTV
• Snip-Its in Chestnut Hill
• Urban Grape Chestnut Hill
• West Suburban YMCA
• MSPP - Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology
• Solomon Schechter Day School (Upper and Lower schools)
• New Art Center
• Jackson School and Walnut Park Montessori School

Do you know of any stores that are closed today? Tell us in the comments section below and we'll add it to our list! 

9:24 a.m. The Newton Police Department is reporting that there are no major storm issues at this time. However, as of 9:15 a.m., wires, trees and limbs are down in the city, so residents should use caution. There are also two reports of trees into houses, but minor damage reported. 

The Police Department is also reminding residents to always treat wires as live and dangerous and stay clear of them. Residents can report down wires, or any other storm related issue to police dispatch at 617-796-2100.

If you have information on downed wires or trees, please post it in the comments section below. If it is safe to do so, take a photo please post it using the "upload photo" button to the right. Or, simply email the photo to Melanie.Graham@patch.com.

12:44 a.m. Boston College has also canceled classes for Monday, Oct. 29. All administrative offices at the school are also closed, according to the BC website. 

Looking for a history of hurricanes in Newton? Check out this "Then & Now" column installment from August 2011.

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10/28/12, 11:02 p.m. NSTAR has posted an online outage map that will update with customer power outages in Massachusetts. 

6:55 p.m. Mount Ida College has also canceled classes for Monday, Oct. 29, according to its website.

 5:32 p.m. Although there is no official notice on the city or district website, a reverse-911 phone message from Superintendent David Fleishman sent out this afternoon indicates that the Newton Public Schools will be closed Monday. (Read the full story here)

Andover-Newton Theological School and Lasell College have also canceled classes.

5:18 p.m. According to a press release issued this afternoon by the mayor's office, City Hall and all other municipal buildings will be closed tomorrow, except for essential/public safety personnel. 

"Our number one priority is maintaining public safety," Mayor Warren said in the press release. "We strongly encourage all residents to take precautions over the next few days to ensure their own safety, and the safety of their family, friends and neighbors. All essential departments will be working around the clock to ensure an efficient response to the storm."

City officials have been working throughout the day to prepare for potential power outages, street closures, and delays in services, the press release said. 

The press release did not specifically mention closure of the Newton Public Schools, but Newton Patch will update readers as soon as that information is available. 

In a press conference Sunday afternoon, Gov. Deval Patrick requested all schools, public and private, be closed tomorrow. Additionally, he's asking that private companies allow their employees to stay home.

"Requesting all schools, campuses & early ed programs to close Monday for safety & keep the roads clear for emergency personnel," is a Tweet from @MassGovernor.

Another Tweet: "Encouraging private employers to follow our lead and have their workers to stay home."

Check with your employers before heading in to work tomorrow. We're still awaiting official word on Newton Public Schools.

4:43 p.m.: There is no official word yet on the Newton Public Schools, but Newton Country Day School and Mount Alvernia High School will be closed Monday, according to their websites.

In addition, Mayor Setti Warren met with city department heads on Friday to outline preparations for the storm, according to a press release issued Friday afternoon. The city's website will include updated info throughout the storm as well as tips for local residents to prepare. 

Residents should remember to bring in any loose lawn furniture or other decorative items (it is Halloween season, after all). 

Power outages should be reported to NStar by calling 800-592-2100. Residents should stay away from downed wires.

If you spot damage around Newton, you can report it to City Hall by submitting a request online or dialing 311 from any Newton landline. Fire and dispatch can be reached 24 hours a day at 617-796-2100, but all emergencies should be reported to 911. 

Original article:

As we hunker down to ride out Hurricane Sandy, we want to make sure that Newton stays connected. For live updates during the storm, be sure to download our App for your smartphone or tablet and 'like' Newton Patch on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

As you send us messages through social media and email (melanie.graham@patch.com), we’ll make sure the information is added here to this story in the comments and on the map found above. If you notice wires down or a tree across the road, please alert authorities and then let us know so we can spread the word quickly. You can comment right on this story to make sure readers know what’s going on in your neighborhood.

Hurricane Irene struck town pretty hard last year; we know how supplies — water and batteries — can become scarce about town. You can share information about where to find these items and who's got the latest delivery by commenting below.

Newton Patch is all about connecting neighbors and helping neighbors so we hope you’ll find this information hub helpful as we brave the storm together. Stay safe, Newton!