National Weather Service confirms three separate tornadoes struck Hampden County (MA)

The Republican ^ | Patrick Johnson

[matt04]

SPRINGFIELD - The tornado that ripped through Springfield was the second strongest ever recorded in Massachusetts, with wind speeds estimated at 136 to 165 mph, an official with the National Weather Service said Friday.

Meteorologist Eleanor Vallier-Talbot said preliminary investigations show that in areas hardest hit, the tornado was estimated as an EF-3 on the Enhanced Fujita Damage Classification Scale.

The scale classifies tornadoes on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the most intense. The tornado that flattened Joplin, Mo., last month was considered an EF-5, with winds in excess of 200 mph.

The highest rating recorded for a Massachusetts hurricane was one that struck Worcester in July 1953, which was an EF-4, Vallier-Talbot said.

But she cautioned that the numbers for the Springfield tornado are preliminary figures.

“It could possibly go higher,” she said.

The National Weather Service has determined there were actually three separate tornadoes. The most severe one was the EF-3 that carved a half-mile-wide path for 39 miles from Westfield to Charlton, killing four people and injuring 200.