Peabody and Lynn have joined forces with Salem and Beverly to give relief to those affected by the natural gas explosions in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover.
On Friday, the four North Shore communities announced the establishment of the North Shore-Merrimack Valley Relief Fund. Their partnership with Eastern Bank will allow anyone to donate over the counter at any regional Eastern Bank. All donations will go directly to those affected by Thursday’s explosive fires.
“All of our branches, including the Boston area, Cape Cod, and New Hampshire, are aware of the fund and can work with anyone wishing to make a donation,” said Barbara Heinemann, Eastern Bank’s executive Vice President of consumer banking. “We did have people walking into some of our branches as soon as the information went out on Twitter on Friday and that was great.”
Each city the bank has partnered with will have their own plans about how long their Eastern Bank branches will remain as donation hosts, according to Heinemann.
She said Eastern Bank customers residing in the impacted towns, Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover, will be reimbursed for any ATM fees they incur. If they have to use ATM machines from other banks, they will waive the usual surcharge and fully reimburse charges from other banks.
For non Eastern Bank customers who were affected by the fiery explosions, the surcharge to take money out of their ATM locations in Lawrence, Andover, Dracut, and Lowell will be waived. Heinemann said other financial institutions may still charge a fee for non-customers using Eastern Bank ATMs.
The surcharge relief for those impacted by the explosions will be in effect until Oct. 15.
“Hopefully it makes a big difference in their time of need,” said Heinemann. “This is a catastrophic event impacting so many in those communities … We are just happy to be a part of the relief.”
The rapid series of gas explosions ignited fires in 60 to 80 homes located near Merrimack Valley, according to the Associated Press. The explosions forced entire neighborhoods to evacuate as crews scrambled to fight the flames and shut off the gas and electricity in each home. Authorities said an estimated 8,000 people were displaced at the height of Thursday’s post-explosion chaos.
The explosions led to the death of 18-year-old Leonel Rondon and injuries to about 25 people, according to the AP. A chimney toppled by an exploding house and crashed into Rondon’s car and he was pronounced dead after being rushed to a Boston hospital Thursday evening. Rondon had gotten his driver’s license just a few hours before the fires began.
According to AP, Governor Charlie Baker said state and local authorities were investigating but it could take days or weeks before they get answers. Baker declared a state of emergency for the affected area in order for the state to take over recovery efforts.
The four North Shore mayors made statements on the town of Salem’s website. Each of them said they want the residents in their cities to donate directly to those impacted or displaced by the fires.
Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll said she is grateful for the collective empathy of the residents on the North Shore and Beverly Mayor Michael P. Cahill is asking his residents to help in any way they can.
“Our hearts go out to all those affected by the gas explosions in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover,” said Peabody Mayor Edward A. Bettencourt, Jr. “Those wishing to aid the victims of this disaster can donate to the North Shore-Merrimack Valley Relief Fund and be assured their money will benefit those who need it most.”
“We stand together with the North Shore and Merrimack Valley communities impacted by these devastating events,” said Lynn Mayor Thomas M. McGee. “We can’t imagine what they are going through at this time and encourage businesses and residents of our municipalities to be as generous as possible as our neighbors start to get back on their feet in the coming weeks and months.”
