My area in Massachusetts was hit hard by tornados

[Candlelady]

I live in Western Massachusetts where tornados have ripped through nearby towns earlier today. My town wasn't involved but areas hit were within a few miles. Driving home, I saw some of the destruction, emergency vehicles, and people walking and driving around just looking so dazed. Four people are confirmed dead and there is a declared state of emergency. My son's friend was working in a grocery store when it started collapsing. Thank God everyone got out ok. Please remember those poor people affected by this disaster in your prayers.

Hi neighbor, we are in Enfield,Ct, just a few miles away. Prayers have been going out since it happened. Many of my co-workers are without power or water, and they don't expect to have any for at least a few days.

Weird weather for this area. Scary stuff for sure.

Take care

 

[dgaston]

My DH is a rep to the ELCA New England Synod Assembly scheduled and going on as planned from June 3 to 6 in Springfield. They've sent out a last minute request for non-perishables like granola bars, and the usual pb and J, spaghetti sauce and pasta, rice, oatmeal and canned fruits for the food banks in Springfield. They are staying in the Monarch and using the Mass Mutual Center for meetings. Several service projects were planned and some are being altered to do storm cleanup.

 

[TSMIII]

I live in one of the towns that was hit by the tornadoes. The tornado that came through our town was approx. 1 1/2 miles from our house at its closest. We were fortunate as we did not even get so much as a fallen tree branch in our yard.

Myself, DW, DD9 & DS1 spent the evening in the cellar until a bit after 9pm when everything had passed.

Several of our friends had damage to their houses as it passed by them with fortunately no injuries. One friend in the next town over (a fellow DVC member) had a woman burst into their home as the tornado approached begging for shelter as she was in her car trying to get home and knew she would not make it. They took her down to their cellar and after the tornado passed, came out to survey the damage. A short time later a man and his young son came down the road and asked for some gas (for a chainsaw I think) and assistance and the boy said "What am I going to do, I don't have a house anymore."

My stepfather works for the highway dept. in this same town and a campground there was hit resulting in one of the fatalities. RVs and trailers were scattered everywhere and some were even blown into the pond on site and sunk to the bottom.

My brother lives in the next town over from us on the other side and a small civilian airport there was hit and none of the planes remained on the tarmac - all were hanging in the trees, flipped upside down or blown off into the brush and fields around the airport.

A number of local roads have been closed since Wednesday due to all the trees blown down, though they are slowly re-opening them and restoring power. Schools have been closed until Monday.

disneygal55 is right that a lot of people in our area don't take the tornado warnings very seriously as historically the warnings have not resulted in tornadoes. And it is even rarer for us to actually get a tornado which, when they do occur, are usually very small in magnitude and short in duration. The last substantial one we can remember was back in the mid-90s in the far western part of the state.

However, I can assure you that now, people in my area have a new appreciation for what the folks in the midwest and plains states go through on a yearly basis!

 

[disneygal55]

I'm glad that you and your family are safe and that your home was spared any damage. Thank you to everyone who has sent well wishes and prayers to those affected by these tornados. Hopefully we can help these poor people to get back on their feet again.

 

[spleen]

Good thoughts to you and all of your neighbors.

 

[disneygal55]

Thank you. We're fine but there are so many in neighboring towns who aren't. Hopefully they can get their lives back to normalcy fairly soon.

On a happier note...I see that you're from Honolulu. My husband and I were there about 4 years ago. We stayed at the Marriott Ko'Olina. You are so lucky to live on such a beautiful island.

 

[spleen]

Glad that you seemed to have a good time! Please come back, stay at Aulani, and help support our economy. I'll be doing my share of that for MA when I come up to Boston in October for a conference.

 

[wic0721]

I'm in MA too, I've never seen weather like that before in Massachusetts! It was definately a scary day! Hopefully we never see a day like that again!