The 1953 worcester tornado was an extremely powerful tornado that struck the city and surrounding area of worcester, massachusetts on tuesday, june 9, 1953. And books and clothing ended up at blue hill on outer cape cod. This ef4 tornado was yards wide, traveled 46miles, killed. Today is the anniversary of the worcester tornado of 1953, which killed 94, caused millions of dollars in damages and deposited debris as far away as 50 miles. Photos and six videos help tell the story of the disaster.
Original worcester telegram newspaper june 18, 1953. Worcester had been through floods and hurricanes before, but nothing like the extreme, targeted destruction wrought in 1953, according to robyn conroy, a librarian at the worcester historical. The storm stayed on the ground for nearly 90 minutes, traveling 48 miles across central massachusetts. June 79, 1953 the flint worcester outbreak stormstalker. Worcester, ma f4 tornado june 9, 1953 tornado talk. Three deadly and devastating storms that struck the nation in texas waco, michigan flint and massachusetts worcester during that year had significant impacts on the future of american tornado watch and warning systems. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. The worcester, ma tornado occurred during the midafternoon time on june 9, 1953. The 1953 worcester tornado was an extremely powerful tornado that struck the city and. Welcome to the official governmental website for the city of worcester, ma.
Worcester, ma tornado 1953 wed, jun 10, 1953 1 hartford courant hartford, connecticut. It was part of the flintworcester tornado outbreak sequence, which occurred over a threeday period from june 69, 1953. The worcester, massachusetts tornado of june 9, 1953, was the final event from a threeday tornado sequence. A record in pictures of the catastrophe that struck worcester and central massachusetts, june 9, 1953. The book, written in 1993 and still available through amazon, is an. Jun 06, 2018 worcester, ma tornado 1953 wed, jun 10, 1953 1 hartford courant hartford, connecticut.
The worst tornado in new england history strikes worcester, mass. The tornado first touched down in petersham about 4. Ive heard limited stories about the tornado in my life. Tornado of 1953 worcester historical museum worcester. The weather doctor almanac 2003 the worcester tornado of 1953. The storm killed 94 people including 62 in worcester. I lived through this tornado, even though our house was totally blown away while we were in it. Dec 14, 2016 this feature is not available right now. The tornado season of 1953 was one of the worst on record in the. Jun 09, 2012 in 1953 a new process was being used, that was the first year that tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings were used. In very good condition considering age and storage. The photos posted here, taken after the worcester tornado in 1953, were with the items she sent me. See maps and stats of the f4 tornado that hit massachusetts on june 9, 1953 at 2. Dec 28, 2011 rare footage taken from the inside the worcester wedge of 1953, the mile wide wedge tornado carved a path through the northeastern parts of a massachusetts this tornado was rated ef4 but possibly.
Until sunday evening, the worcester tornado, which. Jun 09, 2017 remembering the deadly f4 tornado that ravaged worcester. At a time before early warnings and weather alerts, the people of central massachusetts didnt know what hit them as the massive funnel cloud moved across the state obliterating everything in its path. The tatnuck bookseller published a book about this about 10 years ago. Survivors recall the devastation of the 1953 worcester tornado. Boston public library, leslie jones collection it plowed a 46milewide path through barre, rutland, holden, worcester. The worcester tornadoes were named after the destructive tornado that hit worcester on june 9, 1953. Worcester residents recall devastating june 1953 tornado. John horrigan lectures about the great tornado that struck worcester on june 9th, 1953. The worcester tornado of 1953 was the singlemost devastating natural disaster to ever hit. On june 9, 1953, a devastatingly powerful tornado hit the city of worcester. Worcester, ma tornado june 9, 1953 weather history.
This changed with the oklahoma tornado in the late 1990s and the nashville tornado a year or two later. Jun 09, 2019 the june 9, 1953 worcester tornado killed 94 people and injured more than 1,250. President of assumption college at the time of tornado my room is the one at the extreme right on the corner front red circle. I left the room as mud and hail pelted the windows which face south. Tornado of 1953great brook valleyworcester,ma where we. It was a stifling spring day on june 9th, 1953, when a merciless black funnel of wind touched. I know of no book on the flint tornado, but perhaps one is in press. Remembering the deadly f4 tornado that ravaged worcester. Before the storm left genesee county, 116 people died in the beecher district.
When a tornado darkened the quabbin reservoir on j une 9, 1953, and then slashed through a halfdozen towns in worcester county, and worcester itself, tragedy resulted. Places of the past, tornado of 1953 worcester, mass. Severe storms began on june 7th over the central plains before spreading into michigan and ohio on the 8th. It ripped out the heart of worcester, massachusetts. May 24, 2011 the infamous june 9, 1953, worcester county tornado has been replaced in the record books by sunday nights devastating twister in joplin, mo. Contact and book john today references the great worcester tornado description. Jun 09, 20 for the survivors of the june 9, 1953, worcester county tornado there is one common denominator. It was part of the flint worcester tornado outbreak sequence, which occurred over a threeday period from june 69, 1953. For the survivors of the june 9, 1953, worcester county tornado there is.
O toole, who chronicled the event in his book tornado. Worcester had been throughfloods and hurricanes before, but nothing like the extreme, targeted destruction wrought in 1953, according to robyn conroy, a librarian at the worcester historical. Heritage zen photos from the worcester tornado, june 9, 1953. Because of this, the tornado struck with little to no warning for residents. A one half mile wide track of destruction was left. Looking back at ef4 tornado that hit warner robins in 1953 we opened our archives and took a look back at our award winning story about the ef4 tornado. On june 9, 1953, an f4 tornado touched down in petersham at about 4. When the sky turns a deep purple and rumbling thunder advances from the northwest, they pay.
The front page of the boston globe from june 10, 1953, recorded the most catastrophic tornado ever to hit central massachusetts. Flintworcester tornado outbreak sequence, 1953 waco tornado outbreak, 1953 vicksburg, mississippi tornado outbreak, 1953 sarnia, ontario tornado. Learn more from these relevant books chosen by the weather doctor. When the sky turns a deep purple and rumbling thunder.
Here you will find all city administration, services and information related to worcester. The tornado to which i refer is the worcester, massachusetts tornado half a. It was the worst tornado in new england history, and one of the 25 worst tornadoes in u. It came to be known as the 1953 worcester tornado, part of the flint worcester tornado outbreak sequence, a series of tornado outbreaks that occurred in worcester and flint, michigan from june 69, 1953. A recent 2003 addition is the worcester tornado, june 9, 1953 by bill chittick, which, according to the author, contains a meteorological analysis of the day. The deadly worcester tornado struck on june 9, 1953.
June 9 anniversary of worcester tornado of 1953 by sun staff june 9, 2017. At the time this book was written, the worcester tornado had the highest tornadic winds in recorded history, at 321 mph. Rare extreme footage from the worcester tornado of 1953 youtube. For 90 minutes it stayed on the ground, traveling 48 miles from petersham. The worcester tornado of 1953 was the singlemost devastating natural disaster to ever hit massachusetts. 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. These were my sisters mary ellen, age six, and brenda, almost four, and my brother joe, two. Tornado of 1953 in and around worcester, massachusetts. On this day in 1953, worcester county was devastated by the strongest tornado ever to hit new england. For one of the best books on the subject of tornado field research, read his. In 2003, to commemorate the 50 th anniversary of the june 9, 1953 tornado, worcester historical museum reached out to the community and asked them to share their stories and images of this tragic date in worcester s history where 94 people lost their lives. Rare extreme footage from the worcester tornado of 1953. Home worcester, ma terrible tornado death and damage, june 1953. The boston daily globe front page the day after the deadly tornado of june 9, 1953.
In 2003, to commemorate the 50 th anniversary of the june 9, 1953 tornado, worcester historical museum reached out to the community and asked them to share their stories and images of this tragic date in worcesters history where 94 people lost their lives. Jun 09, 2019 it is the deadliest and most destructive tornado to ever hit the new england area. Published on dec 28, 2011 rare footage taken from the inside the worcester wedge of 1953, the mile wide wedge tornado carved a path through the northeastern parts of a massachusetts this tornado. Sep 05, 20 moms account of the june 8, 1953, flintbeecher tornado lisa hedger 682016 in 1953, my mother, mary cowell, lived on north dort highway in beecher, michigan, in a twostory farmhouse with her three young children. Worcester, ma tornado 1953 national weather museum. Cinderblock and brick buildings were picked up and smashed to rubble.
Worcester massachusetts telegram the evening gazette tornado. Very interesting articles and pictures of the area after the tornado hit. Otoole, 84 minutes, 94 lives, indicates as many as 94 were killed by this storm. Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from wikipedia or other free sources online. On june 9, 1953, a devastatingly powerful tornado hit the city of worcester and the surrounding areas.
Jul 17, 2012 tornado of 1953 great brook valley worcester,ma where we lived was hit the hardest stay safe and healthy. The worcester tornado of 1953 struck without warning and cut a swath of destruction, at times a mile wide, through a halfdozen towns. People didnt really know that it was coming, said robyn conroy, librarian and archivist at worcester historical museum, who runs an oral history project about the 1953 worcester tornado, talking with survivors about what they experienced that day. In 1953 my grandfather who worked at the norton co. With winds close to 300 mph, the twister traveled 46 miles across the county, reaching its peak intensity in worcester. There was even a book published about the event, titled tornado. Per thomas grazulis in significant tornadoes, an f5 rating could have been given to this event.
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