At least 3 Mass. tornadoes confirmed

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WPRI) - The National Weather Service confirmed Thursday that at least three tornadoes touched down in Massachusetts the day before, causing widespread damage in the western and central parts of the state.

The twisters are being blamed for at least three deaths, including a West Springfield woman who shielded her 15-year-old daughter while their house fell apart on top of them.

Earlier Thursday, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said it was investigating reports of tornado damage in as many as 18 communities.  Later in the day, however, Governor Deval Patrick announced that the most severe damage was contained to eight or nine towns and cities, with about ten others reporting lesser damage.

Peter Judge at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency tells Eyewitness News that crews are driving from west to east assessing the damage in those communities.

Two towns bordering Rhode Island -- Douglas and Uxbridge -- were on the agency's list of affected communities.  However authorities in both town tell Eyewitness News that they are unaware of any damage.

In addition to the three deaths, about 200 people had sought treatment for storm-related injuries in the first 24 hours after  the storms.

By Thursday evening, about 40,000 homes and businesses were still without electricity, down from about 57,000 at the storm's peak.

National Grid says it sent twenty crews from Rhode Island to help restore electricity in the tornado-ravaged areas.