A week of deadly and rare tornadoes in Massachusetts

The video below is from June 1, 2011. It’s a dramatic portrayal of a tornado’s power, showing a tornado in Springfield, Massachusetts – the third largest city in Massachusetts, with a population of 150,000 – encountering the Connecticut River and moving along the river briefly, pulling water up into the funnel cloud and sending debris hurtling along the river’s edge.

A total of two rare and powerful tornadoes ripped through Springfield on June 1, killing four people, injuring 40 and causing extensive damage. The four deaths means 2011 ties with 1973 as Massachusetts’ deadliest tornado year since 1953, when 90 people died in an F-4 tornado that hit Worcester.

Read a full account of the June 2011 tornadoes in Massachusetts at Jeff Masters’ WunderBlog

EarthSky 90-sec and 8-min podcasts: Jeff Masters on extreme U.S. tornadoes in 2011