Tornadoes in Massachusetts

Headache · Post by **Headache** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:43 am

Hello everyone, typing to you live from the war zone known as Springfield, MA.

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/hamp ... town-Spfld

That tornado that managed to cross a big river, was a half mile from me when it crossed, then came towards the complex I live in. I was typing to some friends and describing the weird weather I was viewing out my window when it hit.

When the huge cloud of dust and debris hit my window and I saw the 60ft tree land about 6 feet from my window, I realized what was happening. Luckily my cat came to me when called as freaked out as he was and we ran to the bathroom.

Once the wind died down I went outside to take pictures. Someone told me that if I thought this was bad I should go see the parking lot...and he pointed in the direction where my van is parked.

While not unscathed I'm lucky. A 30 foot tree fell in the direction of my van, but landed on the Jeep on my passenger side, crushing it. A branch came to rest on my van crushing the roof just above the passenger door and the top of the passenger door breaking the glass. The windshield is severely cracked but not broken. The tornado blew in one of the back windows. The street lamp post that was behind my van was ripped out of the ground crushing the Volvo on the drivers side of my van. Since a tree hit my van and the complex owns the tree, I'll get some money out of this, but my trip to move near my Dad is now delayed.

The National Guard is walking around and it's very surreal to look out my 10 foot picture windows(that are still intact) and see sky where I saw nothing but trees.

I'll post the pics tomorrow. Right now we have more storms coming.

splummer · Post by **splummer** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:52 am

it was bad also up in gorham n h this afternoon ,not as bad aswhere you are at tho, had severe lighting and high winds , real humid here at home and the sky is very black with winds , we shall see what happens here

Headache · Post by **Headache** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:59 am

It's coming your way. I was just on the phone with my sister and she said "OMG the news just showed trees being uprooted in Williamsburg because the wind is so strong!".

Williamsburg is just west of where she lives. She's in the basement now.

There's so much lightning and thunder right now that it resembles a fireworks display.

And I'm not exactly sure but the sky looks kinda greenish again.

splummer · Post by **splummer** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 12:04 pm

hope you guys are ok down there , your right it looks like its oming the leaves are turning and humidity real thick, altho tornados are rare up here we do get them once in a while

Headache · Post by **Headache** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 12:21 pm

I figured out that the sky looks weird because I've never really seen it out these windows, it had been mostly trees.

The rain is now coming down in buckets, right into my van from the broken windows.

ezrablu · Post by **ezrablu** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:17 pm

Oooh nooo...I know my snowstorms usually hit you guys out that way but sorry to hear my Wisconsin tornado weather made it your way

I hope you're all safe?

Headache · Post by **Headache** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 7:12 pm

So far there are 4 confirmed deaths. That's pretty good considering that at the time it hit there were school buses out and the 1st shift factory workers were heading home.

I was doing fine until I saw my van and realized I would not be leaving at the end of the month to head to WA state and my Dad. I'm still a bit overwhelmed. Spider won't sleep on his perch next to the window. He was on it when the tornado hit us.

Just for perspective(I did not take these pics):

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/tornado- ... sachusetts

Pic #2 is one block west of me.

Pic #3 is showing the tornado about the time it was eating the parking lot where I live. The skyscraper apartment building is where the camera in pic #1 is located and I have a direct view of it out my windows. It's about 8 blocks from me.

Pic #4 is the Memorial Bridge where the tornado went over as it crossed the Connecticut River.

Pic #7 is similar to #3.

Pic #9 is just a few blocks northwest west of me.

Pic #10 is one block west and is just a building south of the Park Street damage seen in pic #17.

Pic #16 is one block away. Just over the collapsed part of the building in the foreground you can see the top of that tall apartment building.

Pic #17 is one block away. If I step out of the building to the parking lot I can see down Park Street to Main Street.

Pic #21 is a couple blocks away.

Pic #22 is the backside of the animal shelter across from my parking lot.

Pic #23 *IS* what's left of the parking lot my van is in. Just beyond the white car is a bush and beyond the bush is a downed tree. My van is under that tree along with the Jeep parked to the right of my van. The tree landed on the Jeep and a branch is laying on the roof of my van. Looking down the parking lot to the street directly in the center of the picture, that is Park Street. The parking lot took the brunt of the damage although the courtyard on the opposite side of the building(where my apartment is) doesn't look much different.

Pic #24 is located to the left of the view you see in #23 so I guess that would be kitty corner(aptly named since the animal shelter is directly left of the view in #23) to the parking lot.

splummer · Post by **splummer** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:52 pm

thats terrible, we were spared from that one , but sure looked tho we were in for it , could hear thunder from a distance thru out the night the temps dropped from 94 to 60 , and with no humidity.the national weather service says sunny here today ,it sure doesnt look sunny. tornados are rare up here but over the years we get them and they do lots of damage ,last year was the worse ,lots of propety damage but ussually the only damage is in the woods and thats not news worthy

Headache · Post by **Headache** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 8:08 am

I've posted pics of the tornado damage including my van on my barely used blog.

http://diamonddragon.blogspot.com/2011/ ... d-day.html

http://diamonddragon.blogspot.com/2011/ ... g-lot.html

Stealth Camper · Post by **Stealth Camper** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 10:33 am

Sorry you had to go through that. It is made worse by the scarcity of the experience. Glad that you are ok (and kitty). Shame about the van. I know you don't really need that kind of crap - now or ever....

Nice pirate picture!

ezrablu · Post by **ezrablu** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 10:39 am

Yes...way too bad about your van but I'm glad you made it through unhurt. What a crummy thing to have to deal with just before you were getting ready to move. Does the property owner have insurance to cover something like this since it was their tree?

ezrablu · Post by **ezrablu** » Sat Jun 04, 2011 1:11 am

For anyone who hasn't been through a tornado this will give you a good idea what it's like....

Joplin, Missouri...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQnvxJZu ... re=related

Stealth Camper · Post by **Stealth Camper** » Sat Jun 04, 2011 3:06 am

Yep, that's it!

There is a sound that appears about 3 minutes into it that is difficult to describe, but kind of like what a paintball gun sound is - a splat sound (??). That is hail hitting. From where they were in hiding, the level of noise shows that was very large hail! Golf ball to tennis ball size most likely. Lots of debris sounds, too, where the building was tearing apart.
Scary. Very scary!

For some people (and yeah, I am one of those) those sounds create an excitement and energy that is difficult to explain - or for me to understand. I don't really feel like I am an adrenaline junky, but who knows?? I have heard that maybe it is the ozone in the air giving an enhanced 'energy' level. Anyway, whatever it is - that's the thing that drives me to get out in that weather and go chasing the storms. I suspect it is also an acquired taste from the time I saw my first tornado at about 5 years old.

Headache · Post by **Headache** » Sat Jun 04, 2011 4:32 am

No insurance and since the property owner isn't at fault there's no claim to be made.

Unlike a "typical" tornado this one did not have any tell tale "sound"(other than strong winds) as hail had stopped falling once it crossed the Connecticut River. It also intensified as it travel east so once it crossed the river and hit my area, it was almost at its peak strength. Were still awaiting word on the official wind speeds. I had found an article yesterday that claimed F2 but I know now it was premature. They aren't going official yet until they finish investigating Monson today.

Pic #20 in this article is 2 blocks from me. That building took a direct hit.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... ec7387acc8

They are comparing this tornado to the one that hit Tuscaloosa recently.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp ... 7#43244117

Someone in Boston recovered a checkbook belonging to a woman from Springfield. It had traveled in the storm for 90 miles.

All of these photos were taken within a 1/4 mile of where I live with most of them being within a block or 2 away.

http://mansfield.patch.com/articles/pho ... to-6378338

Headache · Post by **Headache** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 5:41 pm

I put in my application tonight for financial aid in getting my van repaired or replaced. I have no idea what dollar amount they will come to but I'm certain that with the body frame damage I'll be lucky if it pays enough for the new corner framing let alone the roof and glass.

I suppose if it does pay enough to get the framing in that corner fixed and the roof straightened out and reattached, then I have to pay for a new door and the glass, I should count myself lucky.

NOMADICISTA

Tornadoes in Massachusetts

Tornadoes in Massachusetts

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