Down the street a grown man came running, sobbing as I have never seen a man cry. The Worcester Tornado: June 9, 1953. The tornado picked up a 12-ton bus and slammed it against the Curtis Apartments, killing two and dropping the buildings blueprints in, in New Hampshire, and others caused minor damage in. Rose didnt. It included two tornadoes that caused at least 90 deaths eachan F5 tornado occurring in Flint, Michigan, on June 8 and an F4 tornado in Worcester, Massachusetts, on June 9. Just E-mail me. killing people at each one. Everywhere I went there were cries of "please help me." The severity of this epic storm remained in dispute for a long period within the meteorological community. Sands, who was 24 at the time, was in the car with her sister and her husband when the tornado hit. Photos of the worst tornado damage courtesy Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection, except for the photo of Robert Stoddard and John Kennedy by Source (WP:NFCC#4). To use this feature, use a newer browser. Please try again later. This account has been disabled. 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. A devastating year of tornadoes was capped by the deadliest December tornado in U.S. history. ------------------------- It would later be found to be an EF-3 tornado, the third strongest tornado on record in Massachusetts. They returned to an "awful sight." Thousands of people became homeless after the storms, resulting in martial law being declared for Worcester. Per Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes, an F5 rating could have been given to this event. From an AP story quoted in the Boston Globe. I also have copies of some of the obituaries for these individuals, if you would like a copy, contact me. ^ 19: The "mile wide" path represents the approximate width of observable damage that can be accredited to the tornado. "That vision, it will never leave me," said Audrey Doyle-Richardson. . Though it was still three hours before sunset, gloom as dark as night settled on the area. The Worcester, Massachusetts tornado of June 9, 1953, was the final event from a three-day tornado sequence. . The powerful tornado first touched down in rural Petersham on June 7, 1953 at approximately 4:25 pm. June 7, 2022 . The tornado struck with little to no warning for residents as the decision to inform the public was debated over. She was swept away with her stately home, which had just appeared in aBetter Homes and Gardens photo. See also: Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts. City of Worcester Worcester 311 Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. According to National Weather Service estimates, over 10,000 people were left homeless as a result of the tornado. Massachusetts, There was a problem getting your location. NAS. Over 4,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed in Worcester alone. At the Brookside Home Farm, a dairy, six men were killed and the herd of 80 Holstein cows wiped out. Someone found a wedding dress in Worcester hanging from a telephone wire in Natick. when did it close Iworked there 1954 to 1957 The year 1953 saw some of the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history, including the Waco Tornado that hit on May 11, the Flint tornado of June 8, and the Worcester tornado on June 9. The presence of the air mass created the chance for warm air from the South to clash with the cold front. USA, Post Mills, Fortunately, most employees had finished their shift just hours before. 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). Mothers were holding children in their arms, covered with blood. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. On June 10, a young U.S. senator named John F. Kennedy came to inspect the damage from the storm. Eddies mother suffered a fractured spine. I also have copies of some of the obituaries for these individuals, if you would like a copy, contact me. "Worcester tornado" redirects here. Husbands and wives were found dead together, locked in a final embrace. right after the storm. The black storm cloud grew to a mile wide by the time it slammed into Worcester. If you are a relative of one of these individuals please contact me and I will be honored to transfer the memorial to you. We have set your language to If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Edgar holds degrees in history and communications from Villanova University in Philadelphia and once lost big on an episode of the TV game show "Jeopardy!". Image courtesy: Eleanor Vallier Talbot - NWS Boston Above is what an radar image in 1953 looked like. Today, theres almost no evidence that such a devastating storm ever tore through Worcester, except in the memories of those who lived through that harrowing day. Deleting this Virtual Cemetery cannot be undone. Near Barrea twister collapsed a two-story farmhouseand threw18-year-old Barbara Knight and 11-year-old Eddie White hundreds of feet to their deaths. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Resend Activation Email. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Tornado in Worcester; an exploratory study of individual and community behavior in an extreme situation. The tornado was at its peak when it hit the north side of Worcester, then a city of 200,000. Tornado! I also have copies of some of the obituaries for these individuals, if you would like a copy, contact me. From my vantage point I looked up and saw the side of the brick and steel building was sheared off. Ambulances from all over the city responded, but at first could not enter the disaster area as power lines were down. Survivors remembered that in the minutes before it struck with no warning there was hail as big as potatoes and grapefruit. Tornado of 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 Worcester's history where 94 people lost their lives. Please reset your password. Jun 9, 1953: A separate. In all, the 1953 Worcester Tornado was a devastating natural disaster that will forever live in infamy among Worcester residents. More than 10,000 people lost their homes. These 3 storms were also unique in occurring within a 30-day period. The tornado damaged the Norton Co., Worcesters largest employer, shattering every window and tearing off the roof. The storm killed 116 people in the northern Flint suburb of Beecher, and injured 844. All of a sudden a shout of "FIRE" broke out and one of the units burst into flames. USA, Templeton, Many emergency services were provided for the tornado victims and recovery efforts lasted for up to two years after the freak event. 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.". Boston Globe, "Deadly '53 Tornado Still Stirs Memories," by Peter Schworm, June 5, 2000;"Memories, Nightmares of '53 Twister Still Sharp" by Peter Schworm, June 9, 2003; and "New Team's Nickname Riles Some in Worcester," by Scott Goldstein, March 11, 2005. Activity 1: Panel Discussion/Debate: Integration v. Segregation? As a result of this debate, the National Weather Service took an unprecedented step and convened a panel of weather experts during the spring of 2005 to study the latest evidence on the wind strength of the Worcester tornado. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. [13] Coincidentally, around the time it ended at 5:45 P.M., a tornado warning was issued, although by then it was too late. This was just at the entrance to the vast housing area. Charlie Gage and other Flint-Beecher area residents were instrumental in the placement of . Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. The . This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. On Monday, June 8, 1953 an exceptionally violent tornado struck the north side of Flint, Michigan and the northern suburb of Beecher, causing catastrophic damage and hundreds of casualties. There is a problem with your email/password. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. 44 cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The most devastating tornado ever to occur in the Northeast was the Worcester Tornado of June 9, 1953. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. The Worcester tornado of 1953 struck without warning and cut a swath of destruction, at times a mile wide, through a half-dozen towns. It plucked people out of their shattered homes or impaled them on flying debris. Please reset your password. [citation needed] After brushing Petersham (occasionally with twin funnels several hundred feet apart), the tornado tracked southeastwards and slammed into the rural towns of Barre and Rutland, with two fatalities occurring at each of these locations. 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. People at first thought the Soviet Union had launched an attack on Massachusetts or maybe it was a side effect of the nuclear testing in the Southwest. The tornado had a path 40 miles long and up to 900 yards wide. The Tornado first touched down west of Worcester And then the monster got loose. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Massachusetts tornado victim Virginia 'Ginger . [9], On the morning of June 9, the low pressure system had moved northeastward into Ontario near the south end of Hudson Bay. His older sister June survived, having been thrown through the air on a door and fallen back to earth safely. Lots of clothing, home insulation, and lumber. 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. This browser does not support getting your location.