Bennington Micro Area Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Bennington Area is about the same as Vermont average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Bennington Area is higher than Vermont average and is much lower than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #320
| Bennington Area | 0.14 |
| Vermont | 0.31 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #129
| Bennington Area | 0.0000 |
| Vermont | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #677
| Bennington Area | 62.96 |
| Vermont | 27.21 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 11,919 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Bennington Area were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 7 | Cold: | 120 | Dense Fog: | 1 | Drought: | 28 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 1,379 | Hail: | 2,311 | Heat: | 70 | Heavy Snow: | 475 |
| High Surf: | 4 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 25 | Landslide: | 1 | Strong Wind: | 340 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 5,842 | Tropical Storm: | 2 | Wildfire: | 3 | Winter Storm: | 291 | Winter Weather: | 137 |
| Other: | 883 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Bennington Area.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Bennington Area.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Bennington Area.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 28 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Bennington Area.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 5.1 | 1955-03-22 | 2 | 43°00'N / 73°12'W | 0.10 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Bennington | |
| 8.9 | 1998-05-31 | 2 | 42°57'N / 73°17'W | 42°56'N / 73°11'W | 5.50 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 630K | 0 | Bennington |
| Brief Description: During the morning hours of May 31, a strong low pressure system over the upper Great Lakes pushed a warm front across eastern New York and western New England. This set the stage for a major severe weather outbreak in southern Vermont. In this highly sheared environment several lines of severe thunderstorms formed ahead of an approaching cold front, which resulted in one tornado and several severe thunderstorms. The F2 tornado in Bennington County is the continuation of the tornado that crossed Saratoga and Rensselaer Counties in eastern New York. The tornado entered the county as an F2 but quickly weakened to an F1. The tornado followed route 67 from the state line through North Bennington to the South Shaftsbury area. The tornado dissipated approximately two miles east of South Shaftsbury along Lower East Road. This tornado produced extensive damage to many homes in North Bennington and South Shaftsbury. The Bennington College grounds were hard hit with many trees blown over or sheared apart. Approximately 8,000 customers lost power with some locations remaining without power for two to three days. Severe thunderstorms also downed trees, power lines and utility poles at several locations in southern Vermont. A severe thunderstorm at Shaftsbury in Bennington County produced large hail. | |||||||||||
| 11.4 | 1969-05-29 | 2 | 43°12'N / 73°06'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Bennington | |
| 16.3 | 1968-08-20 | 3 | 43°06'N / 72°48'W | 1.00 Mile | 27 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Hillsborough | |
| 19.9 | 1998-05-31 | 2 | 42°55'N / 73°41'W | 42°56'N / 73°16'W | 20.30 Miles | 970 Yards | 0 | 0 | 10.0M | 200K | Rensselaer |
| Brief Description: During the morning hours of May 31, a strong low pressure system over the upper Great Lakes pushed a warm front across eastern New York and western New England. This set the stage for a major severe weather outbreak in eastern New York. In this highly sheared environment several lines of severe thunderstorms formed ahead of an approaching cold front. This resulted in three tornadoes and severe thunderstorm damage in every county. The most significant tornado occurred in Saratoga County and northern Rensselaer County. This tornado touched down at Ushers Road in the Town of Halfmoon and moved due east into the City of Mechanicville. Here, the tornado intensified to an F3 and destroyed the DiSiena Furniture Company. The tornado tracked over Viall Hill where several housing developments were devastated. It continued east into the Riverside area in the Town of Stillwater, where many homes, businesses and several warehouses including De Crescente Distributing Company were destroyed or heavily damaged. The tornado then crossed the Hudson River into Rensselaer County and decreased to an F2. The tornado tracked across the Town of Schaghticoke and just brushed the Village of Schaghticoke to the north. Czub Grain Farm on Verbeck Avenue was heavily damaged. It then followed the Hoosic River as it crossed the Village of Valley Falls and into the northern portion of the Town of Pittstown to Millertown. At this point the track became discontinuous and the intensity decreased to an F1. In the Town of Hoosick the path became continuous again and increased to an F2. Several farms received extensive damage including Lukeland Dairy Farm where a 60 ton silo and barn were leveled. The tornado then tracked from extreme northeast Rensselaer County to Bennington County in southern Vermont where it quickly decreased to an F1 after crossing the border. Governor Pataki declared a State of Emergency in Saratoga and Rensselaer Counties. The National Guard was called in by the Governor to assist in the clean up. In Saratoga County approximately 55 homes were destroyed and 230 were damaged. In Rensselaer County approximately 50 to 60 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Power was not restored to parts of this region for three to four days. Approximately 70 injuries occurred with this tornado but no one was killed. Another tornado tracked across southern Rensselaer County. This tornado first touched down on Palmer Road about two miles east of Interstate 90 in the Town of Schodack. The tornado moved due east and passed just south of North Schodack then tracked east northeast to Millers Corners on the south shore of Burden Lake. The damage path continued in this direction to Pike Pond before it dissipated at Alps Mountain. This tornado destroyed three barns, damaged several homes and produced extensive tree damage along its path. The last tornado tracked across the Albany International Airport. It began southwest of the airport about one-half mile west of Memory Gardens Cemetery. The damage path continued east northeast to the Albany ASOS unit where an 82 mile an hour gust was reported. Next it tracked near the Air National Guard facility at the Albany Airport before it crossed Interstate 87 and dissipated. The most widespread damage occurred near the Hilton Hotel where several trees were uprooted or sheared off. At Easton in Washington County, a microburst producing winds of 100 miles an hour took the roof off the fire house and leveled a barn after it was carried 60 yards. South of the Village of Herkimer in Herkimer County, a powerful downburst took the roof off a T hangar at a small private airport and damaged two airplanes. A couple of out buildings and a small trailer office were also rolled off their foundations. The severe weather caused widespread power outages across all of eastern New York. The damaging winds downed power lines, power poles and trees in many locations. Structural damage occurred to several homes and garages due to downed trees. Damage to crops was also quite extensive especially in the mid Hudson Valley and Capital District. Resources from the State Department of Agriculture and Markets were made available to many counties in this region. Approximately 25 cows were killed across the area due to either electrocution or collapsed barns. | |||||||||||
| 21.6 | 2002-06-05 | 2 | 43°11'N / 72°44'W | 43°11'N / 72°44'W | 0.10 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 75K | 0 | Windham |
| Brief Description: Thunderstorms, that initially developed in New York, and produced a macroburst in extreme eastern New York, moved into southern Vermont during the evening of the 5th. The storms spawned two tornados, one in Woodford Hollow, Bennington County and the other one near Wilmington, Windham County. The first touchdown, one mile north from Route 9, produced a swath 150 yards wide and a path length of one half mile. Many trees, as large as a foot in diamter, were either knocked over or ripped apart. Trees also fell on three automobiles. This tornado was assesed to be a F1 intensity, with winds estimated between 80 and 100 mph. The second tornado, 4 miles northeast of Wilmington, was even stronger despite a narrower swath of 50 yards. The path length was also about a half mile. This tornado, in addition to blowing some trees down, mostly destroyed a sturdy house on Haynes Road. The garage of the house was blown off its foundation. The family room was ripped off the end of the house, nearly killing the owner. Luckily the owner escaped without any injuries. However, antiques in the attic of the home, as well as numerous other possessions from throughout the house, were spread out for miles downwind, and a propane tanke was missing. The winds with this tornado were estimated between 125 and 150 mph. Non-tornadic thunderstorm winds blew some trees down in the town of Pownal. Lightnting struck a home in North Bennington causing a very small fire with minimal damage to the structure of the house. | |||||||||||
| 22.3 | 1973-08-28 | 2 | 42°54'N / 73°33'W | 42°55'N / 73°29'W | 2.30 Miles | 83 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Rensselaer |
| 26.7 | 1966-03-01 | 2 | 42°39'N / 73°09'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Berkshire | |||
| 32.1 | 1998-05-31 | 3 | 42°55'N / 73°46'W | 42°55'N / 73°41'W | 4.70 Miles | 970 Yards | 0 | 68 | 60.0M | 0 | Saratoga |
| Brief Description: During the morning hours of May 31, a strong low pressure system over the upper Great Lakes pushed a warm front across eastern New York and western New England. This set the stage for a major severe weather outbreak in eastern New York. In this highly sheared environment several lines of severe thunderstorms formed ahead of an approaching cold front. This resulted in three tornadoes and severe thunderstorm damage in every county. The most significant tornado occurred in Saratoga County and northern Rensselaer County. This tornado touched down at Ushers Road in the Town of Halfmoon and moved due east into the City of Mechanicville. Here, the tornado intensified to an F3 and destroyed the DiSiena Furniture Company. The tornado tracked over Viall Hill where several housing developments were devastated. It continued east into the Riverside area in the Town of Stillwater, where many homes, businesses and several warehouses including De Crescente Distributing Company were destroyed or heavily damaged. The tornado then crossed the Hudson River into Rensselaer County and decreased to an F2. The tornado tracked across the Town of Schaghticoke and just brushed the Village of Schaghticoke to the north. Czub Grain Farm on Verbeck Avenue was heavily damaged. It then followed the Hoosic River as it crossed the Village of Valley Falls and into the northern portion of the Town of Pittstown to Millertown. At this point the track became discontinuous and the intensity decreased to an F1. In the Town of Hoosick the path became continuous again and increased to an F2. Several farms received extensive damage including Lukeland Dairy Farm where a 60 ton silo and barn were leveled. The tornado then tracked from extreme northeast Rensselaer County to Bennington County in southern Vermont where it quickly decreased to an F1 after crossing the border. Governor Pataki declared a State of Emergency in Saratoga and Rensselaer Counties. The National Guard was called in by the Governor to assist in the clean up. In Saratoga County approximately 55 homes were destroyed and 230 were damaged. In Rensselaer County approximately 50 to 60 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Power was not restored to parts of this region for three to four days. Approximately 70 injuries occurred with this tornado but no one was killed. Another tornado tracked across southern Rensselaer County. This tornado first touched down on Palmer Road about two miles east of Interstate 90 in the Town of Schodack. The tornado moved due east and passed just south of North Schodack then tracked east northeast to Millers Corners on the south shore of Burden Lake. The damage path continued in this direction to Pike Pond before it dissipated at Alps Mountain. This tornado destroyed three barns, damaged several homes and produced extensive tree damage along its path. The last tornado tracked across the Albany International Airport. It began southwest of the airport about one-half mile west of Memory Gardens Cemetery. The damage path continued east northeast to the Albany ASOS unit where an 82 mile an hour gust was reported. Next it tracked near the Air National Guard facility at the Albany Airport before it crossed Interstate 87 and dissipated. The most widespread damage occurred near the Hilton Hotel where several trees were uprooted or sheared off. At Easton in Washington County, a microburst producing winds of 100 miles an hour took the roof off the fire house and leveled a barn after it was carried 60 yards. South of the Village of Herkimer in Herkimer County, a powerful downburst took the roof off a T hangar at a small private airport and damaged two airplanes. A couple of out buildings and a small trailer office were also rolled off their foundations. The severe weather caused widespread power outages across all of eastern New York. The damaging winds downed power lines, power poles and trees in many locations. Structural damage occurred to several homes and garages due to downed trees. Damage to crops was also quite extensive especially in the mid Hudson Valley and Capital District. Resources from the State Department of Agriculture and Markets were made available to many counties in this region. Approximately 25 cows were killed across the area due to either electrocution or collapsed barns. | |||||||||||
| 35.1 | 1976-06-11 | 2 | 43°19'N / 73°43'W | 43°18'N / 73°41'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Washington | ||
| 35.6 | 1962-07-09 | 2 | 43°18'N / 72°36'W | 43°22'N / 72°28'W | 7.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Windsor |
| 37.1 | 1974-06-16 | 3 | 42°51'N / 73°45'W | 42°55'N / 73°53'W | 7.70 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Saratoga |
| 37.3 | 1966-08-11 | 2 | 43°18'N / 72°28'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Windsor | |
| 37.3 | 1960-06-24 | 3 | 42°48'N / 73°53'W | 42°55'N / 73°44'W | 10.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 9 | 25.0M | 0 | Schenectady |
| 37.5 | 1962-07-09 | 2 | 43°16'N / 72°30'W | 43°18'N / 72°24'W | 4.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Windsor |
| 38.2 | 1975-07-13 | 2 | 42°29'N / 73°10'W | 0.30 Mile | 27 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Berkshire | |
| 38.3 | 1955-10-24 | 2 | 43°22'N / 72°30'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Windsor | |
| 38.6 | 1974-06-16 | 3 | 42°40'N / 73°48'W | 42°51'N / 73°45'W | 12.70 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Albany |
| 38.9 | 1998-05-31 | 2 | 42°35'N / 73°39'W | 42°36'N / 73°31'W | 8.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 175K | 0 | Rensselaer |
| Brief Description: During the morning hours of May 31, a strong low pressure system over the upper Great Lakes pushed a warm front across eastern New York and western New England. This set the stage for a major severe weather outbreak in eastern New York. In this highly sheared environment several lines of severe thunderstorms formed ahead of an approaching cold front. This resulted in three tornadoes and severe thunderstorm damage in every county. The most significant tornado occurred in Saratoga County and northern Rensselaer County. This tornado touched down at Ushers Road in the Town of Halfmoon and moved due east into the City of Mechanicville. Here, the tornado intensified to an F3 and destroyed the DiSiena Furniture Company. The tornado tracked over Viall Hill where several housing developments were devastated. It continued east into the Riverside area in the Town of Stillwater, where many homes, businesses and several warehouses including De Crescente Distributing Company were destroyed or heavily damaged. The tornado then crossed the Hudson River into Rensselaer County and decreased to an F2. The tornado tracked across the Town of Schaghticoke and just brushed the Village of Schaghticoke to the north. Czub Grain Farm on Verbeck Avenue was heavily damaged. It then followed the Hoosic River as it crossed the Village of Valley Falls and into the northern portion of the Town of Pittstown to Millertown. At this point the track became discontinuous and the intensity decreased to an F1. In the Town of Hoosick the path became continuous again and increased to an F2. Several farms received extensive damage including Lukeland Dairy Farm where a 60 ton silo and barn were leveled. The tornado then tracked from extreme northeast Rensselaer County to Bennington County in southern Vermont where it quickly decreased to an F1 after crossing the border. Governor Pataki declared a State of Emergency in Saratoga and Rensselaer Counties. The National Guard was called in by the Governor to assist in the clean up. In Saratoga County approximately 55 homes were destroyed and 230 were damaged. In Rensselaer County approximately 50 to 60 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Power was not restored to parts of this region for three to four days. Approximately 70 injuries occurred with this tornado but no one was killed. Another tornado tracked across southern Rensselaer County. This tornado first touched down on Palmer Road about two miles east of Interstate 90 in the Town of Schodack. The tornado moved due east and passed just south of North Schodack then tracked east northeast to Millers Corners on the south shore of Burden Lake. The damage path continued in this direction to Pike Pond before it dissipated at Alps Mountain. This tornado destroyed three barns, damaged several homes and produced extensive tree damage along its path. The last tornado tracked across the Albany International Airport. It began southwest of the airport about one-half mile west of Memory Gardens Cemetery. The damage path continued east northeast to the Albany ASOS unit where an 82 mile an hour gust was reported. Next it tracked near the Air National Guard facility at the Albany Airport before it crossed Interstate 87 and dissipated. The most widespread damage occurred near the Hilton Hotel where several trees were uprooted or sheared off. At Easton in Washington County, a microburst producing winds of 100 miles an hour took the roof off the fire house and leveled a barn after it was carried 60 yards. South of the Village of Herkimer in Herkimer County, a powerful downburst took the roof off a T hangar at a small private airport and damaged two airplanes. A couple of out buildings and a small trailer office were also rolled off their foundations. The severe weather caused widespread power outages across all of eastern New York. The damaging winds downed power lines, power poles and trees in many locations. Structural damage occurred to several homes and garages due to downed trees. Damage to crops was also quite extensive especially in the mid Hudson Valley and Capital District. Resources from the State Department of Agriculture and Markets were made available to many counties in this region. Approximately 25 cows were killed across the area due to either electrocution or collapsed barns. | |||||||||||
| 42.2 | 1962-07-09 | 2 | 43°18'N / 72°24'W | 43°20'N / 72°20'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Sullivan |
| 44.0 | 1958-07-11 | 2 | 42°35'N / 72°30'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Franklin | |
| 46.4 | 1997-07-03 | 2 | 42°24'N / 73°25'W | 42°24'N / 73°24'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 550K | 20K | Columbia |
| Brief Description: On July 3, a fast moving cold front crossed eastern New York during the afternoon and evening hours. The front initiated many severe thunderstorms and three tornadoes in Columbia County. In Columbia County near Copake Lake, an F1 tornado produced minor damage to two houses, scattered parts of a barn across county highway 7A and downed many trees and wires. In Columbia County near Canaan, two tornadoes produced extensive damage. The F1 tornado formed just southwest of Beebe Pond, moved northeast and terminated near the intersection of state routes 295 and 22. The tornado damaged several residences and moved a car port. The F2 tornado initiated near the intersection of state routes 295 and 22 and moved eastward across the New York border into Berkshire County Massachusetts where it ended as an F1 tornado. At the County Caretaker Lawn and Garden Center, four large greenhouses incurred structural damage. On Shaker Ridge Road, a newly constructed three story home had the roof completely blown off along with the rear exterior wall. The detached garage was blown off the foundation and destroyed. Since this area is forested, many trees and wires were downed by the tornadoes resulting in power outages. At the South Albany Airport near Selkirk, thunderstorm winds destroyed a Cessna 172 and a vintage1940's Luscombe 8E. The winds also ripped a roof off a garage and downed several trees. In Schoharie County at Charlotteville, straight line winds rolled over a mobile home with five people inside. A second mobile home which was unoccupied was lifted on top of the rolled over mobile home. The five people sustained injuries. In Rensselaer County at Stephentown, thunderstorm winds lifted a barn and dropped it on East Road. Many trees and power lines were also downed by the wind. The thunderstorms also produced hail in parts of Schoharie, Washington, Albany and Columbia Counties. A combination of damaging winds and lightning, left fifteen to twenty thousand people without power across eastern New York. A lifeguard at the Northhampton Beach State Campsite in Northville was struck by lightning. The individual was hospitalized and released with no serious injuries. | |||||||||||
| 47.0 | 1969-06-06 | 2 | 42°54'N / 72°12'W | 1.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Cheshire | |
| 47.1 | 1973-08-28 | 4 | 42°25'N / 73°25'W | 42°22'N / 73°25'W | 3.40 Miles | 313 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Columbia |
| 48.1 | 1963-08-13 | 2 | 42°50'N / 72°12'W | 2.00 Miles | 17 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cheshire | |
| 48.2 | 1972-08-27 | 2 | 42°30'N / 72°30'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Franklin | |
| 49.2 | 2006-07-11 | 2 | 42°33'N / 72°24'W | 42°33'N / 72°24'W | 2.90 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Franklin |
| Brief Description: Brief F2 Touchdown in Wendell Hot and humid air in place over southern New England set the stage for severe thunderstorms throughout the Bay State during the afternoon and early evening. Although storm damage was reported from the Connecticut Valley region to the Worcester Hills and Merrimack Valley, damage was especially severe in eastern Franklin County as well as Boston's North Shore. Early in the afternoon, one cluster of thunderstorms formed in Franklin County and rapidly became severe, causing considerable damage in Montague and especially Wendell. A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service concluded the damage in Wendell was caused by a combination of straight-line wind damage and a tornado, which was rated as a strong F2 on the Fujita Scale with winds estimated near 155 mph. Damage began around 230 pm EDT, about 200 yards west of Montague Road. Wind damage extended from Montague Road about 1.5 miles east to Wicket Pond in the Wendell State Forest. Large oak, maple, and pine trees were uprooted and snapped in this area. Some oaks over two feet in diameter were snapped about 10 to 15 feet from the ground. Damage from this microburst extended along a path of one and a half miles in length, and anywhere from 50 to 300 yards in width. Wind speeds were estimated near 90 mph. Tornado damage first appeared on the northeast corner of Wicket Pond. An eyewitness reported seeing a six foot wave form on the pond. On the west side of the pond, many trees were snapped 15 to 20 feet above the ground, with debris left in a chaotic pattern. The next area of damage was on Wicket Pond Road, which is where the most severe damage occurred. Trees as large as 3 feet in diameter were uprooted. Bark was stripped off trees and a house had part of its roof torn off. The tornado tracked to the east along Wicket Pond Road, passing over Depot Road which is in Wendell Center. Part of a roof was torn off an old barn and many trees were uprooted. After crossing Depot Road, the tornado continued to track to the east, passing north of Morse Village Road. A construction storage trailer was completely destroyed and its roof was wrapped around a tree. Trees were also uprooted or snapped in this area. Damage came to an end about one half mile east of New Salem Road. The path length of the tornado was approximately 3 miles. Its average width was 200 yards, varying from 100 to 300 yards. A little more than one hour later, another cluster of severe thunderstorms brought significant damage to Cape Ann, in particular Marblehead Neck and the adjacent coastal waters. Initially, the storms produced hail as large as 3 inches in diameter - just larger than baseball size - which are considered to be the second largest hailstones reported in Massachusetts. A National Weather Service storm survey concluded that multiple wet microbursts, or sudden outflow of damaging straight-line winds combined with torrential rainfall, impacted the area around Marblehead Neck between 357 pm and 430 pm EDT. The survey noted that westerly winds gusting as high as 90 mph occurred in an area centered from Marblehead Harbor across Corinthian Lane and Barker Lane, and then out to sea. The land damage path was short, primarily because the land is only about 700 feet wide in that area. The main damage path was about 150 feet wide. It consisted of tree damage and minor structural damage, although substantial damage was noted to sailing vessels and at least one car. Damage was more sporadic near Manley Street, about 600 feet farther north, and also to the south and southwest on Foster Street, Harbor Avenue, and Ocean Avenue. Interviews with eyewitnesses provide more detail as to how the storms affected the area. Between 340 pm and 345 pm EDT, winds shifted to the northeast and produced sea spray at the mouth of Marblehead Harbor. This was the result of earlier thunderstorms passing north of the area. Then, from 357 pm to 405 pm EDT, a white tempest developed over Marblehead Harbor on the neck side of the harbor, estimated by the Corinthian Yacht Club chair to be about 300 yards upstream from the dock. This curtain of water and high winds advanced toward the yacht club, lifting 30-foot vessels approximately 20 feet in the air and catapulting them end over end toward the dock. An anemometer on the dock was viewed to have reached 95 mph before it blew off its mast. Damage was less severe, but still significant, from the Connecticut Valley to the Worcester Hills and Merrimack Valley. There were many reports of downed trees, large branches, and hail up to the size of quarters from the Springfield area to Grafton, Westborough, and Framingham as well as farther northeast into Hardwick, Wilmington, and Boxford. Torrential rainfall caused significant urban flooding, especially in Springfield, Oxford, Wakefield, and Beverly. In Salem, two cars on Pope Street were submerged by up to 3 feet of water when about 2 inches of rain fell in 20 minutes. Other cars were flooded in Salem and Lynn due to other roads being flooded, including a stretch of Route 129. Lightning struck Athol Memorial Hospital, causing minor damage to the facility. | |||||||||||
| 49.9 | 1955-07-05 | 2 | 42°26'N / 72°34'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Franklin | |||
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.