Tornadoes in New England

The recent spate of tornadoes and tornado warnings has helped people in New England focus on this phenomenon of nature. Many people think of tornadoes occurring primarily in the Midwest and in the South. However, New England does have its share.

Tornadoes were recorded in the colonies dating back to the 1600's. In modern times, from 1 January 1950 through 28 February 2010, 493 tornadoes were reported in New England (CT-87, ME-109, MA-155, NH-91, RI-10, VT-41). Of these, the most severe (and the worst tornado to ever hit New England) was the F4 tornado that struck the area of Worcester, MA, on 6 June 1953 - 90 people killed, 1228 others injured, and $250,000,000 in property damage (in 1953 dollars).

Media Reports from this weekend:

     NECN: Weekend weather wrapup: Tornadoes, thunderstorm (7 JUN 10)

     WMUR-TV: Saturday Storm Produced EF1 Tornado (7 JUN 10)

     Sun Journal: Witnesses believe tornado hit Auburn, Minot and Hebron (6 JUN 10)

Tornadoes in the past:

     Tornadoes in New England (Jan 50-Feb10)

     National Weather Service: The Worcester Tornado of 1953

     The Weather Doctor: The Worcester Tornado of 1953

     Wikipedia: Windsor (+), CT, Tornado, 3 OCT 1979

     Weather Channel Blog: Record New England Tornado ( 1 AUG 08)

     Wikipedia: Connecticut Tornadoes

     Wikipedia: Rhode Island Tornadoes

     Wikipedia: Four-State Tornado Swarm (1787)

Background Information:

     National Weather Service: Tornadoes

     National Weather Service: Thunderstorm Hazards - Tornadoes

     National Weather Service: Preparedness Guide for Tornadoes (+)