NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) — The National Weather Service confirms that two tornadoes hit Massachusetts late Tuesday morning.
After surveying the damage, the NWS determined an EF-1 tornado touched down in Mattapoisett around 11:20 a.m., followed by a weaker EF-0 in Barnstable about a half-hour later.
A Tornado Warning was in effect for those areas at the time. It has since been lifted.
The NWS estimates the Mattapoisett tornado traveled nearly a mile and had peak winds of 95 miles per hour. The Barnstable tornado traveled just over a mile and the winds topped out at 80 mph, according to the NWS.
Uprooted trees and downed branches and power lines marked the tornado’s path. Some trees snapped 10 to 20 feet above the ground. About 300 residents lost power, according to Eversource.
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Mattapoisett resident Dan Roellke was working from home when he got the Tornado Warning on his phone.
“A minute later, my dog’s freaking out, the sky is pitch black, and I heard this thunderous … it almost sounded like an earthquake,” he recalled . “It all lasted for two minutes, it was crazy. Seemed like a long two minutes.”
Roellke said he watched as a tree in his yard was pulled out of the ground and came crashing down between his home and garage.
“If it was literally a few feet to the right, it would have come into the house and smushed me,” he added.
Marcia Dupont, who lives down the road, said she got the alert and headed toward her basement, looking out the window on the way to see her bushes shaking and branches flying by.
“I’m like, ‘This isn’t good, but if I stand here it might be worse because the trees could come through the window,'” she said. “I’m alive … and that’s a good thing.”
Town Administrator Michael Lorenco told 12 News some homes and vehicles were damaged, but nothing appeared to be “too serious.” No injuries were reported.
The biggest concern was the town’s water treatment plant, which sustained some damage, according to Lorenco. He said it’s currently operational, but was running on a generator.
Several roadways were closed due to downed trees, including North Street, Acushnet Road and Tinkham Lane. Crews responded to clear the debris, and the town asked that drivers avoid the area if possible.
Watch: Wind damage in Mattapoisett
Downpours from the storm also caused significant street flooding in some spots, including Route 18 in New Bedford.
Watch: New Bedford flooding
Watch: Street flooding in Fall River
Watch: Heavy rain in Woonsocket
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