Thousands of people became homeless after the storms, resulting in martial law being declared for Worcester. Thanks for your help! USA, Templeton, The cold front collided with warm air from the South, creating highly unusual conditions for a tornado in the northeastern United States. This account has been disabled. On June 9,1953 a tornado unexpectedly hit the city of Worcester. The 1953 tornado destroyed not only the windows but also the campus. The Worcester Tornado in Its Time: Panic and Recovery By Lianne Lajoie The city of Worcester, Massachusetts is located in central Massachusetts. It was the worst tornado in New England history, and one of the 25 worst tornadoes in U.S. history. Some features of the squall line situation of June 9, 1953 and accompanying tornadoes in central and eastern Massachusetts are discussed. "My sister was hysterical, shes screaming and I was screaming," she said. With your support, GBH will continue to innovate, inspire and connect through reporting you value that meets todays moments. It crushed them in the collapse of the Fayville Post Office. The able-bodied uncovered the injured and carried them on stretchers made from doors or ironing boards. Worcester County, There was a problem getting your location. Five Deadliest December Tornadoes | The Weather Channel There's not one pleasant, light moment . Worcester, 1953 Worcester Tornado Victims: a Virtual Cemetery - Find a Grave There is a problem with your email/password. The tornado damaged the Norton Co., Worcesters largest employer, shattering every window and tearing off the roof. Mrs. Virginia Harrison was the first of 60 people killed in in the city by the tornado. Just E-mail me. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. The funnel maintained a 1-mile (1.6km) width throughout much of Shrewsbury (12 killed), and was still doing maximum damage when it moved through downtown Westborough (five deaths), where it began curving towards the northeast in its final leg. The Worst Tornado in New England History Strikes Worcester, Mass. Or it tossed around cars and mangled the people inside. While the powerful F5 twister did only minor damage to the Baylor University campus, it left . But the family found their insurance did not cover the damage to their home. She died on August 2, 2006 in Enschede, Overijssel, Netherlands. A smaller tornado struck Sutton, Northbridge,Mendon,Bellingham,Franklin,WrenthamandMansfield, injuring 17. The worst tornado turned east and barreled through Shrewsbury, killing 12, through Westborough, killing six, and through Soutborough, where it claimed three more victims. "Worcester tornado" redirects here. He also donated funds to QCC to build the memorial. According to National Weather Service estimates, over 10,000 people were left homeless as a result of the tornado. 44 cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Some who saw the black funnel approach thought it was being circled by birds, until they realized that the "birds" were pieces of debris lumber, trees, livestock, furniture whirling around the funnel. 1953 Worcester Tornado by Marvin Richmond - YouTube The tornado lasted 84 minutes, mowing a path about 45 miles long from Petersham to Southborough. 44 cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The storm left 94 dead, 1,288 injured, 15,000 homeless and over $53,000,000 in property damage. They often tell stories of how the event changed their lives, and how they are always fearful when there is a tornado warning issued, or even if the sky starts to turn grey. The reasoning for this was that the anchoring techniques used in many of the destroyed or vanished homes could never now be ascertained with certainty, and some of these structures (many of recent postwar construction) were possibly more vulnerable to high winds than older homes. The tornadoes are linked together in the public mind because, for a brief period following the Worcester tornado, it was debated in Congress whether recent atomic bomb testing in the upper atmosphere had caused the tornadoes. The Blizzard of '78 dropped between two and four feet of snow on the Bay State over the course On this day in 1888, ordinary life in Massachusetts came to a standstill. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility at GBH, Transparency in Coverage Cost-Sharing Disclosures. It was part of the Flint-Worcester tornado outbreak sequence, which occurred over a three-day period from June 6-9, 1953.The storm stayed on the ground for nearly 90 minutes, traveling 48 miles across Central . The only tornadoes that have been stronger were the 1953 Worcester tornado and the 1995 Great . Hall and her sister, Carole Grisham, 80, took cover in their hallway as a tornado roared around them. In early June 1953, an extremely devastating and deadly tornado outbreak sequence impacted the Midwestern and Northeastern United States. [4] It traveled over 60 miles over the course of nearly an hour and half through Barre, Rutland, Holden and Shrewsbury. Massachusetts, Tornado of 1953 - Worcester Historical Museum When the windows blew out in his third floor dorm room he tried to run. PDF Worcester Historical Everywhere I went there were cries of "please help me." 1953-6-8 Flint-Worcester Outbreak | Stormtrack Down the street a grown man came running, sobbing as I have never seen a man cry. 84 Minutes, 94 Lives: The 1953 Worcester Tornado I saw one convertible that was badly damaged but the engine still ran, making at least 15 trips back to Lincoln Street where ambulances and volunteers were making round trips to all the city hospitals. But it was the first year the NWS forecast tornadoes, and the forecasters feared telling the public lest they cause panic. A helper asked me what to do. Comment by Znhoward | 06/08/2005, Comment by charliek | 06/09/2005, Comment by ww1acepilot@yahoo.com | 02/05/2006, Comment by ww1acepilot@yahoo.com | 05/15/2006, Comment by doedoe | 06/09/2010, Comment by kamsg@aol.com | 06/22/2010, Comment by doctorJ | 06/09/2014. A separate F3 tornado also struck about the same time the warning was issued, in the nearby communities of Sutton, Northbridge, Mendon, Bellingham, Franklin, Wrentham and Mansfield in Massachusetts, injuring 17 persons. One of the most destructive blizzards ever to strike the East Coast raged for 36 hours. [6] More than 30 tornadoes occurred that day across Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, including a violent tornado that killed 11 people near Arcadia, Nebraska. Joe Holley. After the Fujita scale was developed in 1971, the storm was classified as F4, the second highest rating on the scale. ------------------------- Tornadoes In Massachusetts? Rare, But Not Impossible When survivors emerged from the wreckage, they viewed destruction so complete that many thought it was either a nuclear explosion or the apocalypse. Fortunately, most employees had finished their shift just hours before. Entire houses and neighborhoods vanished after the tornado struck Worcester. On Maplewood St. in Shrewsbury, where winds knocked houses off center, wallpaper won't stay up, so people paint. Worcester industrialist Robert Stoddard and John F. Kennedy before take-off in a helicopter to inspect the damage from New Englands worst tornado. Finally it petered out over Framingham,having gobbled up everything in its way. As soon as the winds abated, residents began to organize themselves into rescue teams. Some debris was found in the Atlantic Ocean. 1953 tornado killed 94 people and thousands more buildings were damaged or destroyed, including campus chapel at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass. Survivors Recall The Devastation Of The 1953 Worcester Tornado - News At a home game on or around the anniversary of the tornado, the team remembered the victims with a moment of silence before the singing of the national anthem. A cry arose from one of the several loud speakers that radio stores quickly set up on trucks that all able-bodied men were wanted at once to help move a foundation of a house where a woman was trapped. Massachusetts, . With the Cold War escalating and U.S. troops fighting in Korea, schoolchildren learned to "duck and cover" during air raid drills, and citizens were urged to know how to find the nearest shelters. In addition, seven other tornadoes across the region caused 449 more injuries and 26 more fatalities. As it arrived in Holden, a western suburb of Worcester, the tornado claimed the lives of 11 people. I was not even a month old when this happened. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. A 12-tonne (12,000kg) bus was picked up, rolled over several times and was thrown against the newly constructed Curtis Apartments in Great Brook Valley, resulting in the deaths of two passengers. Houses simply vanished and entire blocks of homes leveled. It included two tornadoes that caused many deaths each - an F5 in Flint, Michigan on June 8, which killed 116 people, and an F4 that hit Worcester, Massachusetts on June 9 and killed 94. Today, experts are aware that the city is part of New England's severe weather corridor. My father-in-law worked for the Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant, and he and some other workers went to the Worcester/Paxton area to help restore the power. With winds close to 300 mph, the twister traveled 46 miles across the county, reaching its peak intensity in Worcester. The tornado that tore through Waco, Texas, on Monday, May 11, 1953, killed 114 people -- giving it the distinction of being tied for the deadliest tornado to ever hit the Lone Star State, and making it the 11th deadliest tornado in U.S. history. Image courtesy: Eleanor Vallier Talbot - NWS Boston Above is what an radar image in 1953 looked like. Massachusetts tornado: Recalling the twister through photos on its 2nd 1953 - 80 Dead and 700 Injured in Worcester Tornado. - Greenerpasture It was part of the Flint-Worcester tornado outbreak sequence, which occurred over a three-day period from June 69, 1953.The storm stayed on the ground for nearly 90 minutes, traveling 48 miles across Central Massachusetts. I lived on Holden St. Holden. Worcester tornado crownbaker 11 subscribers 34K views 13 years ago Kathy Lundstrom's father, Henry Ekberg took this rare color film before and after the Worcester tornado tore up the Burncoat. The next day, 115 people died in Flint, MI and 90 people died in Worcester, MA. Please try again later. Forecasters issued asevere thunderstorm watch instead. Ponds were sucked dry. The results proved successful: since June 9, 1953, no single U.S. tornado had killed over 100 people until the Joplin, Missouri tornado of May 22, 2011. The tornado struck with little to no warning for residents as the decision to inform the public was debated over. The worst devastation occurred in the newer sections of Worcester and surrounding suburbs. He could not find his wife, and calmly over in a corner of a building were 15 mothers feeding their babies their needed bottles. Its real to them. She spoke of it when I was growing up and in my teen years. With winds close to 300 mph, the twister traveled 46 miles across the county, reaching its peak intensity in Worcester. [7], Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Boston believed that there was a possibility for tornado activity in the area, but decided not to include it in their forecast for the day in fear that they would cause panic among local citizens. The body of one overpass victim was not found until one week after the tornado, buried underneath 6 to 8 feet of debris. Hedge-hopping over the power lines I entered the area where a Worcester public bus had been hurled 40 or more feet and lay on its side. Damage estimates were $53 million dollars in 1953. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. At the Norton Company, the city's largest employer, the roof was torn off a new $6,000,000 factory building and heavy machinery was tossed about like toys. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. 94 people were killed, making this tornado the 21st most deadly in the history of the United States. After striking Worcester, it killed 21 more people in the towns of Shrewsbury, Southborough, and Westborough, before dissipating over Framingham. She was swept away with her stately home, which had just appeared in aBetter Homes and Gardens photo. Jun 9, 1953: A separate. On this day in 1953, Worcester County was devastated by the strongest tornado ever to hit New England. 1953 Flint-Beecher tornado Google Arts & Culture Until the Joplin, Mo., tornado of 2011, no storm since killed more than 100 people. Today at QCC, there is a memorial for all those who died on June 9, 1953. Someone found a wedding dress in Worcester hanging from a telephone wire in Natick. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Entire rows of homes were swept away in some areas. in the 50's. [6][11], The tornado descended over the Quabbin Reservoir in Petersham, Massachusetts, at 4:25 P.M., and was witnessed by boaters on the reservoir - three funnels were seen at the beginning, with rapid dissipation of one of them. 1953 Worcester Massachusetts Rescuers Try To Help Victim Of Tornado It may possibly be the highest natural winds ever," and certainly the most powerful ever to strike New England. The memorials in this virtual cemetery are to honor those who died as a result of the tornado that swept through the towns of Petersham, Barre, Rutland, Holden, Worcester, West Boylston, Shrewsbury, and Westborough on Tuesday June 9, 1953. Although tornadoes were rare in New England, taking shelter was something that Americans in 1953 were well-trained to do. [9], On the morning of June 9, the low pressure system had moved northeastward into Ontario near the south end of Hudson Bay. It snatched paper in Holden and dropped it in, Uncatena-Great Brook Valley neighborhoods suffered the worst destruction. [], [] Worcester tornado of 1953, one of the 25 worst tornadoes in U.S. history, killed 90 people in a 90-minute terror []. He always tells us about the area after the tornado, as my daugher, his granddaughter, graduated from Anna Maria. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Also, I can remember how my mom was so worried about our cousins that lived in Worcester. It snatched paper in Holden and dropped it inEasthamonCape Cod. The resources of the Red Cross were depleted, as 1953 was considered one of the worst tornado periods in history. In the days leading up to the Worcester Tornado, it was experiencing a heat wave of temperatures over 90 F. Just a hum that was so deafening and I didnt dare close my eyes because I thought if I close my eyes I am going to die.". [6] By afternoon, temperatures in Worcester had reached 80F (27C), with a dew point of 66F (19C); in combination with cold air aloft, this meant that atmospheric conditions were very unstable and conducive to severe weather. The injured sons recovered after three months in the hospital, and doctors worked without pay to save them and other storm victims, he said. But 94 other people did. On June 7, 1953, a strong shortwave trough moved eastward over the Rocky Mountains, bringing with it strong upward motion that induced lee cyclogenesis: the formation of a low-pressure area over eastern Colorado. "I find it harder to remember some things," she confessed, "but this you do not forget Everyone was affected by it; ask anyone in town. Remembering the Tornado of 1953 | Westborough, MA Patch 44 cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The twister first touched down in Petersham at 4:20 pm; over the next 84 minutes, it cut a path of destruction 40 yards wide through Barre, Rutland, Holden, Worcester, and Shrewsbury before breaking into two smaller funnels. The powerful tornado first touched down in rural Petersham on June 7, 1953 at approximately 4:25 pm. A system error has occurred. There was a problem getting your location. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. On June 9, 1953, a devastatingly powerful tornado hit the city of Worcester and the surrounding areas. The chaotic aftermath of this deadly storm left an indelible mark upon the Waco community. 1953 tornado: Search Result | eBay The storm then passed through Worcester, where it destroyed Assumption College and several other buildings, killing 60. Dedham is about 35 miles from Worcester. At once the hill was swimming with helpful beings. The College was relocated in 1956 to its current home at 500 Salisbury St., but the Prep School remained in Greendale.. It caused the most damage in terms of cost in the United States at the time, costing over $52 million in damages (translating to $349 million today when adjusted for inflation). Others tried to contain the fires that had broken out when downed power lines and open gas jets ignited. These 3 storms were also unique in occurring within a 30-day period. Listen Live: Classic and Contemporary Celtic, Listen Live: Cape, Coast and Islands NPR Station, Boston nonprofit Street2Ivy is producing this generation's entrepreneurs.