Central Mass. Tornado
Jun. 6th, 2011 02:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quidamlingWell, this will pretty much peg my area, but I don't care since I am moving to Alaska in a month.
I've been back in my hometown for the last few months, native soil of Mass-holes, unique, beloved, crazy Massachusetts. I do love it here. And this is where I grew up, so all these places are where I've known since I was 5.
This is sort of what we saw on June 1st, and the aftermath of the tornadoes around here and the few bordering towns.
Dad mentioned the tornado watch from the Storm Center, and while we were out working in the pond in the back yard, it went from bright and sunny to grey and dark in about an hour. Sister was out at a doctor's appointment, and returned (with news that she was clear to go back to Japan) around 4:30. She just beat the rain. Then it quickly turned to hail. I bolted out to move sister's car into the open spot in the garage. The power must have still be on then, because the garage opened.
As we were standing just under the overhang of the eaves a cousin called and told us there was cyclonic weather on the news in... well, she pretty much named every town that borders ours.
Decent size hail: In my hand, even though dad's wedding ring is rather huge, in and of itself.
Comes in Small, Medium, and JUMBO Brain.
Science dork appreciates the layers of a broken hailstone.
When the hail ended, it got a bit brighter, some clouds trucking by, but no more rain. Though going back into the house, the power had gone out. We sat around in the near-dark, and then pretty much collectively took a nap. With no power, and everything seemed over, what else are you supposed to do?
We woke up later to massive thunder and the dogs freaking out. After calling around to some of the places on Main Street, we tried to go get some hot food and see if the power was only out on our street. There wasn't rain at that point, but there was no power all down Main until we went under the highway. We stopped at the big plaza in town, and there were a lot of people just gathering where there was power. The radio channel from Springfield was saying there had been a tornado, and was only playing information and calls. The scary thing was seeing a convoy of a bunch of firetrucks from further away towns going by. So we got food at the only place in town open and with power, Wendy's. So does everyone else with no power. It took a very very long time, but the staff were troopers, and everyone (me included) was on their smartphones trying to get what was going on. No one has battery radios sitting around anymore. There should be some sort of smart phone/internet equivalent beyond weatherbug.
There was thunder and lightning like mad when we finally headed home, then the skies opened up in rain again. I was driving with my nose to the steering wheel trying to see. It was genuinely a little terrifying. The main street/only straight shots into the two cornering towns just at the end of our own road were both blocked off. The tornado had passed about 45 minutes ago, while we were out, just a few hundred yards away.
Once home, we tucked sister's car as close to the garage as possible so mom could get in when she got back from work. Though we tried to get her to stay at the big, giant concrete medical center where she works. You know, essentially a bunker and filled with medical personnel? But no, she came home.
Wendy's and Monopoly by firelight. The joys of a New England quaint town with a living history museum, candles. Lots and lots. We have them.
When we went to bed there was still no power, and the info we had said not to expect it back for a few days. Surprisingly, things clicked back on around 2am. One of the doorbells is wireless, so it always rings when power comes back on.
Then for the last few days we tried to get to everywhere nearby. So many roads had been blocked, that the Governor had to come in by helicopter to see the damage. But for that same reason, there has been no news coverage of this area and we only knew the tornado's path by gossip and hearsay. Most information has been about further west in the state, where the damage was far worse, and many people have been left without homes. At least here, in a number of areas the twister managed to stay in places with only a few homes. Many were damaged, but thankfully, none we ever saw were leveled.
This was one of the last roads to reopen.
It's still hard to navigate, and this was three days later, on Saturday. And the dogs enjoying a car ride.
There's a ton of National Guard called in.
The church says "Food & Rest Here." Some of the local gyms (all, like, 3 in the area) are also letting people get hot showers. Since a lot of us around here have wells, even if there is no damage, without power there's no water.
This is the border of my town and the next over. A lot of the trouble was just getting roads passable.
The tornado followed the main street between towns.
At least the storm track veered off as it entered my town, here it stayed in near the reservoir and obviously there are no homes here.
But even sort of off the track, there was some evidence.
We're more used to this from hurricanes.
It ducked through a bit more of mostly woods, and back behind the property of the living history museum. Then the tornado hopped a highway. At least it was a connection to the Mass Pike, and by and large, that section is quiet commute-wise. Holy hell, tons of people on holidays and weekends, since it's one of the more direct ways to between Boston, Hartford and New York City, but daily commutes not so much.
Then it hopped back across Main Street, and up a residential hill. This one of the worst areas for homes being hit. Mostly it looked like downed trees and some roof damage. Thankfully, no roofs seemed bad enough to need tarps. Though, it's also just about the richest section of town, so at least it's not in an area where people are uninsured or could not afford rebuilding. I know that sounds callous. >:
Once again, working on power. There were crews from Pennsylvania and western New York State, Connecticut and all over the state.
..Ignore NPR in the background... The strangest part is that it looks fine, then suddenly it's a mess, then fine. There's such a delineation.
The next town on the other side was pretty bad.
It was hard seeing all the Xs from the Fire Department, here.
The town has a small, very small Cesna type airport. Some of the planes were tossed around. At least the storm weakened at the border to the town beyond.
Still NPR on the radio.
So there are lots of food drives, charity things and helping each other clean up. I must admit, it's pulling together where small towns shine.
I've been back in my hometown for the last few months, native soil of Mass-holes, unique, beloved, crazy Massachusetts. I do love it here. And this is where I grew up, so all these places are where I've known since I was 5.
This is sort of what we saw on June 1st, and the aftermath of the tornadoes around here and the few bordering towns.
Dad mentioned the tornado watch from the Storm Center, and while we were out working in the pond in the back yard, it went from bright and sunny to grey and dark in about an hour. Sister was out at a doctor's appointment, and returned (with news that she was clear to go back to Japan) around 4:30. She just beat the rain. Then it quickly turned to hail. I bolted out to move sister's car into the open spot in the garage. The power must have still be on then, because the garage opened.
As we were standing just under the overhang of the eaves a cousin called and told us there was cyclonic weather on the news in... well, she pretty much named every town that borders ours.
Decent size hail: In my hand, even though dad's wedding ring is rather huge, in and of itself.
Comes in Small, Medium, and JUMBO Brain.
Science dork appreciates the layers of a broken hailstone.
When the hail ended, it got a bit brighter, some clouds trucking by, but no more rain. Though going back into the house, the power had gone out. We sat around in the near-dark, and then pretty much collectively took a nap. With no power, and everything seemed over, what else are you supposed to do?
We woke up later to massive thunder and the dogs freaking out. After calling around to some of the places on Main Street, we tried to go get some hot food and see if the power was only out on our street. There wasn't rain at that point, but there was no power all down Main until we went under the highway. We stopped at the big plaza in town, and there were a lot of people just gathering where there was power. The radio channel from Springfield was saying there had been a tornado, and was only playing information and calls. The scary thing was seeing a convoy of a bunch of firetrucks from further away towns going by. So we got food at the only place in town open and with power, Wendy's. So does everyone else with no power. It took a very very long time, but the staff were troopers, and everyone (me included) was on their smartphones trying to get what was going on. No one has battery radios sitting around anymore. There should be some sort of smart phone/internet equivalent beyond weatherbug.
There was thunder and lightning like mad when we finally headed home, then the skies opened up in rain again. I was driving with my nose to the steering wheel trying to see. It was genuinely a little terrifying. The main street/only straight shots into the two cornering towns just at the end of our own road were both blocked off. The tornado had passed about 45 minutes ago, while we were out, just a few hundred yards away.
Once home, we tucked sister's car as close to the garage as possible so mom could get in when she got back from work. Though we tried to get her to stay at the big, giant concrete medical center where she works. You know, essentially a bunker and filled with medical personnel? But no, she came home.
Wendy's and Monopoly by firelight. The joys of a New England quaint town with a living history museum, candles. Lots and lots. We have them.
When we went to bed there was still no power, and the info we had said not to expect it back for a few days. Surprisingly, things clicked back on around 2am. One of the doorbells is wireless, so it always rings when power comes back on.
Then for the last few days we tried to get to everywhere nearby. So many roads had been blocked, that the Governor had to come in by helicopter to see the damage. But for that same reason, there has been no news coverage of this area and we only knew the tornado's path by gossip and hearsay. Most information has been about further west in the state, where the damage was far worse, and many people have been left without homes. At least here, in a number of areas the twister managed to stay in places with only a few homes. Many were damaged, but thankfully, none we ever saw were leveled.
This was one of the last roads to reopen.
It's still hard to navigate, and this was three days later, on Saturday. And the dogs enjoying a car ride.
There's a ton of National Guard called in.
The church says "Food & Rest Here." Some of the local gyms (all, like, 3 in the area) are also letting people get hot showers. Since a lot of us around here have wells, even if there is no damage, without power there's no water.
This is the border of my town and the next over. A lot of the trouble was just getting roads passable.
The tornado followed the main street between towns.
At least the storm track veered off as it entered my town, here it stayed in near the reservoir and obviously there are no homes here.
But even sort of off the track, there was some evidence.
We're more used to this from hurricanes.
It ducked through a bit more of mostly woods, and back behind the property of the living history museum. Then the tornado hopped a highway. At least it was a connection to the Mass Pike, and by and large, that section is quiet commute-wise. Holy hell, tons of people on holidays and weekends, since it's one of the more direct ways to between Boston, Hartford and New York City, but daily commutes not so much.
Then it hopped back across Main Street, and up a residential hill. This one of the worst areas for homes being hit. Mostly it looked like downed trees and some roof damage. Thankfully, no roofs seemed bad enough to need tarps. Though, it's also just about the richest section of town, so at least it's not in an area where people are uninsured or could not afford rebuilding. I know that sounds callous. >:
Once again, working on power. There were crews from Pennsylvania and western New York State, Connecticut and all over the state.
..Ignore NPR in the background... The strangest part is that it looks fine, then suddenly it's a mess, then fine. There's such a delineation.
The next town on the other side was pretty bad.
It was hard seeing all the Xs from the Fire Department, here.
The town has a small, very small Cesna type airport. Some of the planes were tossed around. At least the storm weakened at the border to the town beyond.
Still NPR on the radio.
So there are lots of food drives, charity things and helping each other clean up. I must admit, it's pulling together where small towns shine.
