Tornado Touches Down in Massachusetts, Leaving Destruction in Its Wake
BOSTON – Four Massachusetts towns – Mansfield, North Attleboro, Stoughton, and Weymouth – were hit by a tornado on Friday morning, as confirmed by the National Weather Service. The agency’s survey team made the confirmation in the afternoon. Both Massachusetts and Rhode Island are still assessing the damage caused by the storms.
Residents in the affected areas described the terrifying experience of witnessing the tornado and its aftermath. Brenda Gallagher, a resident of Weymouth, recalled, “The rain was just going sideways and the wind picked up more, which I couldn’t believe it, and the next thing I saw was sparks coming from the electrical line and it was bouncing onto the street. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through in my entire life.”
Neighbors compared the sound of the approaching tornado to a train barreling towards them. Gianna Gallouzo, a resident of Weymouth, said, “I was on my way in up 93, everything was completely flooded. The HOV lane, they closed it down early, there were cars just hydroseized all over the street.”
Jeff Aronson, another resident of Weymouth, humorously described his reaction, “I saw the wind coming and I said, I’ll see ya. Up the top of the hill we’ve got two poles down with wires wrapped in it. My yard I’ve got trees down, fence down, and a hole through the shed.”
Although the chaos quickly subsided, the aftermath of the tornado left a trail of destruction. Matt Gallagher shared his experience, saying, “That tree over there cracked and flew all the way up there and ended up landing here. And our whole ceiling in our bathroom, it’s sliced right down the middle and there’s water pouring in.”
Despite the significant damage, some residents consider themselves fortunate. Diana Pellegrino, a resident of Weymouth, remarked, “It sounded like a train, but when your mother says your room looks like a tornado hit it, she has no idea. It’s just peripheral damage and the pool’s a mess, but other than that, we’re very lucky.”
As the affected towns begin the process of cleaning up and rebuilding, the community is grateful that there were no reported injuries. The National Weather Service and local authorities will continue to investigate the extent of the damage caused by the tornado and provide assistance to affected residents.
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Juli McDonald is a general assignment reporter for WBZ-TV.