The Vineyard Wind crisis continues to slam Nantucket as a “significant portion” of the damaged blade detached from the turbine Thursday morning.

Crews had already been busy, cleaning up debris from the blade failure that happened Saturday at Vineyard Wind 1, about 21 miles south of Nantucket. More manpower is on its way following the latest mishap, Vineyard Wind said in a statement.

Additional debris –  fiberglass fragments ranging in size from small pieces to larger sections, typically green or white – is expected to wash ashore Thursday night and Friday, according to officials from the wind energy company who said they’re continuing to monitor “additional coastal communities.”

“This morning, a significant part of the remaining GE Vernova blade detached from the turbine. Maritime crews were on-site overnight preparing to respond to this development, though current weather conditions create a difficult working environment,” officials said in a statement. “Despite these challenging weather conditions, a fleet of vessels remains at sea managing the situation and working to remove the debris.”

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The development comes after Nantucket residents and business owners packed Town Hall Wednesday, demanding answers and transparency from Vineyard Wind during a rowdy Select Board meeting.

Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller abruptly exited the meeting to respond to the incident that involved the “integrity” of the already damaged wind turbine blade.

“We have just been informed that there’s a development to the integrity of the blade,” Moeller told officials Wednesday evening. “We know very little because we’ve been sitting here. … I need to respond to that.”

Residents and the Select Board received an update later in the meeting from Jen Cullen, Vineyard Wind’s senior manager of labor relations and workforce development: the integrity of the blade had been compromised, with an “increased possibility it could detach soon.”

Cullen reiterated how officials implemented a 500-meter safety zone around the turbine that has been “under constant surveillance” since the Saturday failure.

“We are staying apprised of GE Vernova’s efforts to manage the situation, including the removal and recovery of the remaining blade attached to the turbine,” Vineyard Wind said in Thursday’s statement. “With public officials, we will continue to keep the islands informed of developments as we work closely with state, federal, local and tribal partners to respond to this evolving situation, with the safety of our personnel, the public and the environment as our highest priority.”

Nantucket officials, in a release, highlighted how the latest detachment happened around 6:40 a.m. Thursday.

“Vineyard Wind vessels are collecting fiberglass pieces on the site; a very large piece of debris is below the surface, in the water column,” officials stated. “Vineyard Wind is monitoring the location and status of that piece and hopes to retrieve it while it remains offshore.”

The blade broke about 20 meters out from the root in the Saturday failure. The turbine was in its commissioning phase and was still undergoing testing. The cause of the blade failure incident remains under investigation.

Vineyard Wind had yet to conduct any testing on ocean water following the incident as of Wednesday’s Select Board meeting, Moehler said.

Select Board members and residents questioned Moehler for saying the debris was not toxic.

“It’s not really non-toxic. It’s a matter of definition,” said Select Board member Malcolm Macnab, an internal medicine specialist by trade. “It’s quite irritable. I’ve had a case once of someone with fiberglass in their eye, and it wasn’t very pretty. That upsets me.”

The feds have issued a “Suspension Order” for Vineyard Wind to cease power production from all its wind turbine generators “until it can be determined whether the blade failure affects any other VW turbines.”

There have been no reported injuries or harm to any marine resources or mammals from the incident.

All beaches on the island reopened to swimming on Wednesday after lifeguards and workers removed truckloads of debris. Southern-facing beaches had to shut down Tuesday as crews cleaned up the mess.

Town Manager Libby Gibson told residents and the Select Board that a Vineyard Wind representative notified her around 5 p.m. Monday of the blade failure which happened on Saturday at Vineyard Wind 1, about 21 miles south of Nantucket.

At the time of notification, the impacts on the island were unclear, Gibson said, before the debris started washing ashore the following day. She highlighted how the town does not own or operate Vineyard Wind.

“The impacts of this event will continue to unfold in the coming days and weeks,” town officials said in a release. “Town Administration and the Select Board are committed to providing daily morning briefings to the Nantucket public regarding this matter. Vineyard Wind is fully responsible for the repercussions on Nantucket, and Town Administration and the Select Board will ensure they are held Accountable.”