Posted on 06/01/2011 7:47:41 PM PDT by quantim
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) -- At least two tornadoes swept through western and central Massachusetts Wednesday, sending debris slamming into buildings and killing four people, Massachusetts' governor said.
Gov. Deval Patrick said two people died in Westfield, one in West Springfield, and one in Brimfield in the central part of the state. He had no details about those killed.
The storms did extensive damage in Springfield, the state's third largest city.
State police report 33 injuries in Springfield. Police said five of the injuries were reported serious and required surgery.
Patrick said the path of damage from the first and more powerful of the two tornadoes extended from Westfield, just west of Springfield, and extended east to the community of Douglas. He said the second, slightly less powerful, tornado cut a path from West Springfield all the way to Sturbridge in the central part of the state.
Patrick declared a state of emergency and called up 1,000 National Guardsmen.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
They must be expecting looting.
Prayers for the perished and their families.
That's my severe weather plan.
Reports of some looting earlier. One reporter saw people picking up metal debris outside buildings, but not going into buildings. Widespread power outage; no street lights. Lots of fallen trees and blocked roads.
Live continuing newscast:
http://www1.whdh.com/video/7newslive
Killer ones, yes. In the Berkshires in the 70’s and ‘95. Last bad outbreak in today’s area was the Worcester tornado of June 9, 1953.
We get tornadoes up here once every 10-15 years AT MOST.
Having multiple tornadoes on the same day just doesn’t happen often at all.
That is exactly what I was thinking
Here in MI we had four touchdowns of tornadoes in the last 48 hours, no dead thankfully.
I’ve been hit twice directly over the last 20 years, only 10 miles apart. But when global cooling meets global warming /s it is always dangerous.
So when is the president coming to campaign?
RIP.
We had two tornadoes here in CT last summer, nothing like this one though.
We do get fairly violent t-storms, but not usually tornadoes or even tornado warnings.
Oddly enough my house here in Metrowest MA was hit tonight for the second time in about five years. Last time the strike blew off part of the front of the house and almost killed my daughter. Very scary. Tonight we were spared again...only the smell of sulphur and a hugh bang. Two fire engines and several cop cars later, we’re still in one piece, didn’t even lose electricity. Cats and dachshunds fine, too, Thank God.
...and this F-4 tornado in 1953 that killed 93 people:
I am down in Washington DC, and got a call from my wife earlier who said she was huddled in the hallway of our house up in MA with the shades all drawn and doors closed...she didn't really know what to do. We don't have a cellar or a bathtub...
I wouldn’t be surprised at the looting inference. Springfield is a sad shell of a city that has been taken over by a lot of scum...they might well have expected looting.
On June 9, 1953, at about 5:08 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, an F4-F5 tornado, the most severe in New England’s history, tore across Massachusetts for 46 miles in 84 minutes, stopping before it reached Boston. (4) The tornado disaster resulted in 94 deaths, 1,300 injured, 10,000 homeless, 4,000 damaged buildings and hundreds of damaged cars. Total damages were estimated at about $52 million ($349 million in 2002 dollars).
Wow, that is frightening... I was not affected by these storms, but I’ve been monitoring chatter in a New England weather watcher forum, and saw reports of horrendous lightning in the Concord area. I have relatives in Acton who were out of town during the day, just returning about now, and hope that their home made it through the onslaught OK...
I live five miles from there, and am not surprised my wife was a nervous wreck. She doesn’t like inclement weather like that...
Wow, something bad happened in Massachusetts; we’ve had sixteen responses so far; and no one has blamed Mitt Romney. Given the usual FR attitude, I’m surprised.
Wrong. Pay no attention to media propaganda. The 1953 Worcester tornado was accompanied by two other severe tornadoes.
It just brushed by us in Hartland, I saw the sky and told my kids to batten down the hatches. Nasty looking sky moving very fast.It hit just North of us in Westfield.
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