Worcester Tornado Threat
Worcester County Under Tornado Warning as Severe Storms Bring Damaging Winds and Heavy Rain
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Key Points
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The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch at 1:40 p.m. covering specific Massachusetts counties—Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, and Worcester—running until 7 p.m.
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Western Mass News emphasized the broader impacts from the severe storms: downed trees and power outages from damaging winds and flash flooding from downpours, while also noting authorities “can’t rule out the risk for an isolated weak tornado.”
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WCVB reported there were no confirmed tornadoes and “we haven’t seen any tornado warnings in Massachusetts this afternoon or New Hampshire just yet,” though there had been “a few out across New York State earlier this afternoon.”
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WCVB also provided finer-grained warning details: a brand-new severe thunderstorm warning “up until 5 p.m.” from Orange to Ashby/Leominster, plus another north of that including the Manchester and Nashua area—where the Orange-outlined warning carried a “tag of a tornado possible.” The same report said rotation odds were higher as storms moved into southern New Hampshire.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for parts of Worcester County, Massachusetts, on Thursday afternoon, citing radar evidence of a tornado near Clinton, Northborough, and Worcester. The warning ran until 6:15 p.m., with pea-sized hail also possible, according to Telegram.com.
The warning came roughly four hours after a broader tornado watch took effect at 1:40 p.m. for six Massachusetts counties — Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, and Worcester — expiring at 7 p.m. Meteorologists stressed that while a tornado could not be ruled out, the bigger threats were damaging wind gusts near 60 mph, frequent lightning, and flash flooding.
How the Warning Escalated From Watch to Warning
A tornado watch means conditions favor tornado development. A tornado warning means one has been detected — on radar or by a spotter. The NWS upgraded Worcester County to a full tornado warning at around 5:30 p.m. after radar showed rotation near Clinton, Northborough, and Worcester, according to Cape Cod Times. The warning lasted 45 minutes, expiring at 6:15 p.m.
Earlier, at 5:00 p.m., a severe thunderstorm warning from Orange to Ashby and Leominster carried a "tornado possible" tag, indicating radar-detected rotation in that corridor. WCVB reported that rotation odds increased as storms moved into southern New Hampshire, toward Manchester and Nashua, where a separate warning was also in effect.
Wind and Flooding Posed a Greater Danger Than Twisters
Forecasters were clear: the tornado risk was "pretty low." Any twisters were expected to be weak and isolated — not a widespread outbreak. The real hazard was damaging straight-line winds. Isolated gusts hit 60 to 70 mph in parts of Worcester County and southern New Hampshire, according to CBS News.
Heavy rain dropped 1.5 to 2.5 inches in under three hours in some spots, causing localized urban flooding. Downed trees temporarily closed roads including sections of Salisbury Street and Barry Road in Worcester. At the storm's peak, about 347 customers lost power in Worcester County, with National Grid reporting the highest share of outages at roughly 0.11% of its customers.
New Hampshire and Maine Also Faced Severe Storm Threats
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for all of New Hampshire's counties, in effect until 7 p.m., according to Yahoo News. Meteorologist Mike Haddad noted that rotation odds were higher as storm cells crossed from Massachusetts into southern New Hampshire near Manchester and Nashua.
Parts of Maine — including western and central regions — also fell under a tornado watch. There, forecasters said damaging winds were the main hazard, with flash flooding a secondary concern as heavy rain moved east. No confirmed tornadoes were reported in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or Maine during the event.
Worcester's History With Tornadoes Sharpens Local Vigilance
Worcester carries a painful history with tornadoes. On June 9, 1953, an F4 tornado stayed on the ground for 78 minutes, killing 94 people and injuring nearly 1,300. It remains the deadliest tornado in New England history. That legacy keeps residents and forecasters especially alert when rotation appears on radar over the county.
Thursday's storm was categorized by the Storm Prediction Center as a "Slight Risk" — Level 2 out of 5. Wireless Emergency Alerts fired on smartphones across Worcester County at 5:30 p.m., giving residents a 45-minute heads-up before the 6:15 p.m. warning expiration. Utility crews from National Grid and Eversource had already pre-staged in Worcester and Springfield by noon, anticipating the worst of the wind damage.
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