Worcester tornado

{{Short description|1953 tornado in Massachusetts, U.S.}} {{For|the baseball team|Worcester Tornadoes}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox weather event | image = {{multiple image | border = infobox | perrow = 1/2 | total_width = 300 | image1 = 1953 Worcester tornado from Lake Quinsingamond.png | image2 = June 9, 1953 Massachusetts Tornado Tracks.png | image3 = 1953 Worcester Supercell.png}} | alt = | caption = '''Clockwise from top:''' A photograph of the violent tornado as seen from Lake Quinsingamond; A radar image of the Supercell that produced the Worcester tornado; The tracks of the Massachusetts tornadoes of June 9, the top path is the track of the Worcester tornado | formed = June 9, 1953, 4:25 p.m. EDT (UTC−04:00) | duration = 1 hour and 18 minutes | dissipated = June 9, 1953, 5:43 p.m. EDT (UTC−04:00) }}{{Infobox weather event/Tornado | fujita-scale = F4 | path-length = {{cvt|48|mi|km}} | path-width = {{convert|1760|yd|mi km|abbr=on}} | winds = {{cvt|250-300|mph|km/h}}<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.masshist.org/beehiveblog/2021/06/the-great-worcester-tornado-of-1953/#:~:text=Schroeder%20in%20the%20aftermath%20of%20the%20tornado.&text=The%20statistics%20are%20staggering%3A%2094,damage%20(in%201953%20dollars) | title=The Great Worcester Tornado of 1953 | date=2021-06-09 | website=www.masshist.org}}</ref> }}{{Infobox weather event/Effects | fatalities = 94<ref name="killers">{{cite web|title=The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/killers.html|publisher=National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center|access-date=24 May 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110515204603/http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/killers.html| archive-date= 15 May 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref name=WorcesterNWSslides>[http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/papers/WorcesterTornado53_files/WorcesterTornado53.html A Look Back: The Worcester Tornado of 1953] Slide 45. ''National Weather Service'', Taunton, Massachusetts</ref> | injuries = 1,288 | damages = $52.193 million (1953 USD){{refn|group=nb|name=Losses|All losses are in 1953 USD unless otherwise noted.}} | affected = Worcester County in Massachusetts, principally in and near Worcester, Shrewsbury, Southborough, and Westborough }}{{Infobox weather event/Footer | season = Tornado outbreak of June 7–9, 1953 and tornado outbreaks of 1953 }} On Tuesday, June 9, 1953, a rare, violent and deadly tornado struck the city of Worcester, Massachusetts and surrounding areas. Part of a larger and devastating tornado outbreak, the tornado, known as the '''Worcester tornado''', remained on the ground for 78 minutes, covering a distance of {{convert|48|mile|km}}, injuring 1,288 people and killing 94, making it one of the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes |url=https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/killers.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241224212107/https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/killers.html |archive-date=2024-12-24 |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=Storm Prediction Center}}</ref> and the deadliest tornado to ever hit New England.<ref>[https://www.boston.com/weather/untagged/2014/07/28/tornadoes-of-massachusetts-past/ Tornadoes of Massachusetts Past], Boston.com, July 28, 2014</ref> A total of 4,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, and the National Weather Service estimated that 10,000 people were left homeless. The tornado caused $52.193 million ($590 million in 2023 when adjusted for inflation) in damage, ranking it the costliest tornado recorded in its time.

At approximately 4:25 p.m. EDT, the tornado developed in a forest near the town of Petersham and moved through Barre, where two people were killed.<ref>Pletcher 2006, p.157</ref> It then moved through the western suburbs of Worcester, where 11 more people were killed. The storm then passed through Worcester, destroying Assumption College and several other buildings, killing 60 people. After striking Worcester, it killed 21 more people in the towns of Shrewsbury, Southborough, and Westborough, before dissipating over Framingham.

==Meteorological synopsis==

===The buildup to the storm=== [[File:Worcester Tornado Air Pressure.png|thumb|left|250px|Surface weather analysis of the New England Region, June 9, 1953.]] On June 7, 1953, a strong shortwave trough moved eastward over the Rocky Mountains, bringing with it strong upward motions that induced lee cyclogenesis: the formation of a low-pressure area over eastern Colorado. The combination of the warm, unstable air in place over the Great Plains and an elevated mixed layer from the desert Southwest led to conditions favorable for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.<ref name=Stormstalker>{{Cite web|url=https://stormstalker.wordpress.com/2013/09/05/flint-worcester-outbreak/|title=June 7-9, 1953 — The Flint – Worcester Outbreak|date=September 5, 2013}}</ref> More than 30 tornadoes occurred that day across Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, including a violent tornado that killed 11 people near Arcadia, Nebraska.<ref name="nwsslides">{{cite web|title=A Look Back: The Worcester Tornado of 1953|url=http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/papers/WorcesterTornado53_files/WorcesterTornado53.html|publisher=National Weather Service|access-date=17 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927112300/http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/papers/WorcesterTornado53_files/WorcesterTornado53.html|archive-date=27 September 2015}}</ref> On June 8, the storm system moved northeast.<ref name="beechermet">{{cite web|title=The Science Behind the Flint-Beecher Tornado: Map Features|url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/1953beecher/metMapFeatures.php|publisher=National Weather Service|access-date=17 Apr 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219214949/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/1953beecher/metMapFeatures.php|archive-date=19 December 2014}}</ref> These conditions led to several tornadoes in the states of Michigan, Ohio, and Nebraska, most notably the Flint-Beecher tornado. The storm killed 116 people in the northern Flint suburb of Beecher and injured 844. In addition, seven other tornadoes across the region caused 449 more injuries and 26 more fatalities. After the Fujita scale came into use, the Flint-Beecher tornado was rated F5.<ref name="beecher">{{cite web|title=1953 Beecher Tornado: Aftermath|url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/1953beecher/aftermath.php|publisher=National Weather Service|access-date=17 Apr 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823154935/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/1953beecher/aftermath.php|archive-date=23 August 2014}}</ref>

On the morning of June 9, the low-pressure system had moved northeastward into Ontario near the south end of Hudson Bay. An occluded front extended south from it, towards a triple point with a warm front and cold front near the northern end of Lake Superior. The warm front extended southeast across New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey and moved northeast throughout the day, bringing warm, moist, and unstable air into the New England area. In the mid-atmosphere, the elevated mixed layer was still in place, keeping storms from forming earlier in the day before maximum temperatures were reached.<ref name=Stormstalker/> By afternoon, temperatures in Worcester had reached {{convert|80|F|C}}, with a dew point of {{convert|66|F|C}}; in combination with cold air aloft, this meant atmospheric conditions were very unstable and conducive to severe weather. Furthermore, amplified wind shear was present in the afternoon of June 9, making conditions in the atmosphere supportive of supercell development and tornado formation.<ref name="nwsslides"/>

Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Boston believed there was a possibility for tornado activity in the area; however, they did not include such an advisory in their forecast, fearing that people might panic unnecessarily.<ref name="doctor">{{cite web |last=Heidorn |first=Keith, C |date=June 1, 2003 |title=The Worcester Tornado of 1953 |url=http://www.heidorn.info/keith/weather/almanac/arc2003/alm03jun.htm |access-date=4 September 2025 |publisher=TheWeatherDoctor}}</ref><ref name=Stormstalker/> Since 1953 was the first year tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings were used, forecasters compromised and issued the first severe thunderstorm watch in the history of Massachusetts.<ref name="doctor"/><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=NWS Boston |date=2023-05-04 |title=Remembering the Worcester Tornado of June 9, 1953 |url=https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/8dec0fc339414c92b873c3709981fd51 |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=ArcGIS StoryMaps |language=en}}</ref> Most news reports only mentioned possible thunderstorms.<ref name="nwsslides"/> This caused the tornado to strike with very little warning to the residents.<ref name=Stormstalker/><ref>Pletcher 2006, pp. 155-156</ref>

==Tornado summary== left|thumb|The tornado as seen from the shore of Indian Lake. The photographer was 2 miles from the tornado. The tornado first developed over the Quabbin Reservoir in Petersham, Massachusetts, at 4:25 p.m EDT. It was witnessed by boaters on the reservoir, who initially saw three funnels.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Landrigan |first=Leslie |date=2014-06-09 |title=The Worst Tornado in New England History Strikes Worcester, Mass. |url=https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/worst-tornado-new-england-history/ |access-date=September 4, 2025 |website=New England Historical Society |language=en-us}}</ref> After brushing Petersham (occasionally with twin funnels several hundred feet apart), the tornado tracked southeastwards and slammed into the rural towns of Barre and Rutland, with two fatalities occurring at each location.<ref name="Grazulis">{{cite book | last = Grazulis | first = Thomas P | title = Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991 | publisher = The Tornado Project of Environmental Films | location = St. Johnsbury, VT | isbn = 1-879362-03-1 |date= July 1993}}</ref> The massive tornado tore directly through suburban Holden, completely wiping out the Brentwood Estates subdivision and resulting in multiple fatalities.<ref name="Toole">{{cite book |last=O'Toole |first=John |title=Tornado! 84 Minutes, 94 Lives |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gs5SPgAACAAJ |access-date= September 16, 2013 |year=1993 |publisher=Chandler House Press |isbn= 9780963627704}}</ref>

At 5:08 p.m., the tornado entered Worcester and grew to a width of {{convert|1|mi|km|spell=in|abbr=out}}. The damage was tremendous in Worcester, the second-largest city in Massachusetts, and some areas faced the worst damage compared to that from any other U.S. tornado.<ref name="Grazulis" /> Hardest-hit areas included Assumption College (now Quinsigamond Community College), where a priest and two nuns were killed. The main building's {{convert|3|ft|m|adj=on|spell=in}} thick brick walls were reduced by three floors, and the landmark tower lost three stories.<ref name="Grazulis" /> A nearby storage tank, weighing several tons, was lofted and tossed across a road by the tornado.<ref name="Gazette">{{cite news |title= Tornado |author= The Evening Gazette |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8lo5AAAAIBAJ&pg=349,4534432&dq=worcester+tornado+boylston+ton&hl=en |newspaper= The Evening Gazette |date= June 10, 1953 |access-date=September 16, 2013}}</ref> The nearby Burncoat Hill neighborhood saw heavy devastation (especially on its western slope), but it was the Uncatena-Great Brook Valley neighborhoods to the east of Burncoat Hill that were razed, with the tornado possibly reaching F5 intensity in this area.<ref name="Grazulis" /> Houses and rows of homes vanished, with the debris granulated and scattered well away from their foundations. Forty people died in the Uncatena-Great Brook Valley areas alone. A 12-ton (10.89 metric-ton) bus was picked up, rolled over several times, and thrown against the newly constructed Curtis Apartments in Great Brook Valley, resulting in the deaths of two passengers. The Curtis Apartments blueprints were blown all the way to Duxbury (near Plymouth), {{convert|75|mi|km}} away. Across Boylston St. from the Curtis Apartments, the Brookside Home Farm, a city-operated dairy facility and laundry, sustained total damage, with six men and the herd of 80 Holsteins killed. Houses and bodies were blown into Lake Quinsigamond. The six fatalities at Brookside were the most in any one building in the tornado's path.<ref name="Toole" /> thumb|The tornado as it tracked through Shrewsbury after leaving Worcester. At approximately 5:20 p.m., the funnel moved into Shrewsbury and maintained its {{convert|1|mi|km|abbr=out|adj=on|spell=in}} width throughout much of the town, killing 12. The tornado was still in full-force when it moved through downtown Westborough (five deaths), where it began curving towards the northeast in its final leg. In the storm's final moments, three people perished in the collapse of the Fayville Post Office in Southborough.<ref name="Toole" /> Coincidentally, around the time it ended at 5:45 p.m., a tornado warning was issued, albeit too late. A separate F3 tornado also struck about the same time the warning was issued in the nearby communities of Sutton, Northbridge, Mendon, Bellingham, Franklin, Wrentham and Mansfield in Massachusetts, injuring 17 persons. Another tornado did minor damage and caused several injuries in Fremont and Exeter in Rockingham County, New Hampshire; other smaller tornadoes occurred in Colrain, Massachusetts, and Rollinsford, New Hampshire.

Baseball-size hail was reported in a score of communities affected by the Worcester supercell. Airborne debris was strewn eastward, reaching the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory {{convert|35|mi|km|abbr=out}} away, and even out into Massachusetts Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The farthest documented distance of tornado debris was an item that blew from Holden to Eastham on Cape Cod, a distance of {{convert|110|mi|km}}, one of the farthest from a U.S. tornado.<ref name="Grazulis" />

==Aftermath== thumb|F4 tornado damage from the Worcester tornado. {{see also|Disagreements on the intensity of tornadoes}} The Worcester and New England tornado outbreak led to major changes in how severe weather was monitored in the United States. In response to the storm, the Storm Prediction Center was reorganized on June 17, 1953, and efforts continued to develop a nationwide system of weather radar and trained storm spotters.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Corfidi |first=Stephen F. |date=August 1, 1999 |title=The Birth and Early Years of the Storm Prediction Center |url=https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/wefo/14/4/1520-0434_1999_014_0507_tbaeyo_2_0_co_2.xml |access-date=September 4, 2025 |website=American Meteorological Society}}</ref> After this tornado, the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, was the only tornado in the United States to cause more than 100 fatalities.<ref name=":0" />

The strength of the Worcester tornado itself has been debated for decades. Official records had classified it as an F4 tornado. However, damage observed in several communities, including Rutland, Holden, Worcester, Shrewsbury, and Westborough, appeared similar to damage typically associated with an F5 tornado.

Due to this disagreement, the National Weather Service convened a panel of experts in Spring of 2005 to review the available evidence. The panel considered whether the tornado should be reclassified as F5 but decided in the summer of 2005 to retain the original F4 rating.

The panel concluded that many of the destroyed homes could not be examined closely enough to determine how well they had been anchored. Some buildings, particularly those built in the postwar period, may have been more vulnerable to extreme winds than older structures. Without detailed engineering data, the panel determined it was not possible to reliably distinguish between F4 and F5 damage, since the visible effects would likely appear similar.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 16, 2020 |title=How Damage Determines a Tornado's Rating: From Fujita to Enhanced Fujita |url=https://www.iccsafe.org/building-safety-journal/bsj-dives/how-damage-determines-a-tornados-rating-from-fujita-to-enhanced-fujita/ |access-date=September 4, 2025 |website=International Code Council |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Notes== {{Reflist|group=nb}}

==Sources== *{{cite book|last=Chittick|first=William F.|title=The Worcester tornado: June 9, 1953|year=2003|publisher=W.F. Chittick|pages=19}} *{{cite book|last=Pletcher|first=Larry|title=Massachusetts Disasters: True Stories of Tragedy and Survival|year=2006|publisher=Globe Pequot|isbn=0-7627-3988-6|pages=240}} *{{cite book |last=Wallace |first=Anthony F.C. |authorlink=Anthony F. C. Wallace |title=Tornado in Worcester; an exploratory study of individual and community behavior in an extreme situation |publisher=National Academy of Sciences |date=1956 |url=https://archive.org/details/tornadoinworcest00wallrich |via=Internet Archive}} (Wallace's classic study on the impact of the Worcester tornado.)

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Attached KML}} *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXWEF96enA4 Video of before the tornado, and damage following it] (YouTube) *[https://web.archive.org/web/20100612111623/http://www.worcesterma.gov/city-clerk/history/general/1953-worcester-tornado Slideshow of damage] (City of Worcester) *[https://archive.org/stream/tornadoinworcest00wallrich#page/n0/mode/2up Tornado in Worcester] ''National Academy of Sciences: National Research Council'' *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWkVVKKSpGY Video of the tornado in the Southborough area] (YouTube)

{{s-start}} {{succession box | before = 1953 Waco tornado (1953) | title = Costliest U.S. tornadoes on Record | years = June 9, 1953 | after = Topeka, KS (1966) }} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tornado 1953-06}} Worcester Worcester 1953-06 Worcester Tornado Category:History of Worcester, Massachusetts Category:History of Worcester County, Massachusetts Category:History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts Tornado, Worcester Tornado, Worcester Category:Shrewsbury, Massachusetts Category:Southborough, Massachusetts Category:Westborough, Massachusetts Category:Framingham, Massachusetts Category:Petersham, Massachusetts Category:Assumption University (Worcester)