Mass. towns digging out after tornadoes kill 4

  By STEPHEN SINGERSPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The Rev. Bob Marrone was pained to see the steeple of his 137-year-old church shattered and strewn on the grass in the central Massachusetts town of Monson, yet he knows he's more fortunate than some of his neighbors who lost their homes after tornadoes tore through the state, killing at least four people, damaging buildings, uprooting trees and shattering lives.

"I can see the plywood of roofs, and see houses where most of the house is gone," said Marrone, pastor of The First Church of Monson. "The road that runs up in front of my house ... There's so many trees down, it's completely impassable."

Residents of 19 small communities in central and western Massachusetts were left to deal with widespread damage Thursday, one day after at least two late-afternoon tornadoes shocked emergency officials and residents more accustomed to dealing with snow and bone-chilling cold than funnel clouds spawned by spring storms. EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER PHIL LIPOF WILL REPORT LIVE FROM SPRINGFIELD ON THURSDAY.

The state normally averages about two tornadoes per year, with the last lethal twister in 1995.

"It was obviously an incredible surprise ... we'd been monitoring the weather all day and by early afternoon nobody was overly concerned ... but by late afternoon some storm clouds started to appear," spawning tornadoes that battered several towns, said Peter Judge of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

"Getting severe thunderstorms is not very unusual for a late afternoon at this time of the year, but damaging tornadoes in heavily populated areas are rare," Judge said. "We may have a couple of very slight tornadoes during the course of the year. They end up being in the forest somewhere, but not in major populated areas."

Some experts were to fly over the region Thursday to assess damage from the nation's latest burst of damaging weather, while others planned to review the situation from the ground to determine the number and strength of tornadoes that hit the region, National Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Sipprell said.

WATCH A RIVER GET SWEPT UP BY A MASSACHUSETTS TORNADO

"We are definitely analyzing the damage, the structure of the damage, the path of the damage, the width of the damage, video taken by the local community - we are looking for indication on a structural and engineering basis to determine how fast the winds were," Sipprell said.

The storm pulverized or sheared off the tops of roofs on Main Street in Springfield, a city of more than 150,000 about 90 miles west of Boston. A mounted video camera captured dramatic footage of a debris-filled funnel as it swept into downtown from the west, then swirling across the Connecticut River.

"Everything started shaking. The whole building was shaking," said Shonda Lopez, who was at home when the tornado struck before dinner time.

Lopez' sister, Margaret Alexander, hid in a closet in her apartment during the storm. She and 15 family members, including a daughter, two granddaughters and the family dog, Sasha, in a crate later went to the MassMutual Center, a cavernous event center in downtown Springfield that was converted into an emergency shelter.

Gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency and called up 1,000 National Guardsmen after the storms, which brought scenes of devastation more familiar in the South and Midwest to a part of the country where such violent weather isn't a way of life.

The governor said the death toll was preliminary and police and firefighters were going door to door in Springfield to assure that no one was trapped in damaged buildings.

Massachusetts hasn't experienced a tornado since 2008, according to the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla. The last killer tornado in Massachusetts was on May 29, 1995, when three people died in Great Barrington, a town along the New York state border.

The state's deadliest recorded tornado on June 9, 1953, killed 94 people in the Worcester area.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno said more than 40 people were admitted to hospitals in the city after Wednesday's tornado. State police said at least 5 people were seriously injured and required surgery.

In Sturbridge, at the junction of the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate 84, a half-mile section of Main Street was shut down after a tornado damaged homes and felled trees, according to town administrator Shaun Suhoski.

Suhoski said some people suffered "cuts, scrapes, bruises," though no serious injuries were immediately reported. The storm blew trees into houses and severely damaged telephone poles and rooftops, he said.

Two people were killed in West Springfield, one in Springfield and another in Brimfield, according to Patrick, who did not immediately know the circumstances of the deaths.

The storm hit as workers were starting the evening commute home.

Police closed some highway ramps leading into Springfield.

Upstairs at the Mass Mutual Center, seniors from Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham dressed in gowns and tuxedos arrived for their prom, which went on as scheduled despite the tornado.

Jola Wnuk said she almost didn't attend because of the weather.

But her mother persuaded her to go. "She said it's once in a lifetime," Wnuk said.

Photographers hired for the prom said they had a frightening view of the tornado just outside the center's ceiling-to-floor windows.

"It looked like birds were flying out of the trees and it was rubble," said Martha Vachon of Photography by Duval of Palmer.

The storm knocked out power to tens of thousands of customers.

Crews from utilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire were called in to help restore service.

Among the injured in Springfield was a retired priest, according to a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield. The priest was living at St. Michael's Retired Priest Residence, which was damaged by the tornado.

A tornado watch had been issued earlier for much of the East Coast, including Philadelphia, New York and Boston.

Bob Pashko, of West Springfield, said he was returning from his doctor's office when the storm started and he went to a downtown bar in Springfield to wait for a ride.

"The next thing you know, the TV says a tornado hit the railroad bridge in West Springfield," Pashko said. "It's the baddest I've seen."

At the bar, Pashko said, the owner told people to get away from the window as patrons saw the storm on TV.

"To see it live on TV when I'm five football fields away is better than being outside," the 50-year-old Pashko said.

Members of the state's congressional delegation said they would seek federal assistance for storm-damaged areas.

Patrick said there was extensive damage in Hampden County, especially to homes and other structures. He asked superintendents in the 19 affected communities to cancel school Thursday and told nonessential state employees in counties impacted by the storms to stay home.

Patrick said the damage has hit home for him and Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray. Murray is the former mayor of Worcester and Patrick owns a home in western Massachusetts.

"These are my neighbors and my friends, too; the lieutenant governor's as well," Patrick said. "We're worried about our friends and neighbors, our fellow citizens in western Massachusetts who have been affected by this terrible tragedy."

---
Associated Press writers Russell Contreras, Bob Salsberg, Jay Lindsay, Sylvia Wingfield, Rodrique Ngowi and Steve LeBlanc in Boston, and Kristi Eaton in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

You can watch YouTube videos of the tornadoes by CLICKING HERE.

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4 reported dead after tornadoes in Mass.

  By STEPHEN SINGERSPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Tornadoes roared through Massachusetts on Wednesday, including its third-largest city, where debris slammed into buildings and startled workers and residents who were heading out for the evening commute.

The storms killed at least four people throughout the state, though the governor said the death toll was preliminary.

EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER PHIL LIPOF WILL REPORT LIVE FROM SPRINGFIELD ON THURSDAY

The storm pulverized or sheared off the tops of roofs on Main Street in Springfield, a city of more than 150,000. A mounted video camera captured dramatic footage of a debris-filled funnel as it swept into downtown from the west, then crossed the Connecticut River.

Gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency and called up 1,000 National Guardsmen after the storms, which brought scenes of devastation recently wreaked in the South and Midwest to a part of the country where such violent weather isn't a way of life.

The Rev. Bob Marrone of The First Church of Monson said the storm cleared a view he's never seen across the valley where the town sits.

"I can see the plywood of roofs, and see houses where most of the house is gone," said Marrone, whose church's steeple was knocked down. "The road that runs up in front of my house ... There's so many trees down, it's completely impassable."

Thomas Walsh, a spokesman for Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, told The Associated Press he was looking out his City Hall window around 4:30 p.m. when he saw the funnel.

WATCH A RIVER GET SWEPT UP BY A MASSACHUSETTS TORNADO

"I could see this massive cloud of debris floating around in a circular, cylindrical fashion," he said.

At least four people were killed from the storms, Patrick said.

State police report 33 injuries in Springfield. Police said five of the injuries were reported serious and required surgery.

"It looked like birds were flying out of the trees and it was rubble," said Martha Vachon of Photography by Duval of Palmer, who was photographing the Minnechaug Regional High School prom in downtown Springfield, which went on as planned.

Around 55,000 customers National Grid, Western Mass. Electric and Unitil were reportedly without power.

One of the tornadoes struck downtown Springfield, one of the state's largest cities, on Wednesday afternoon, frightening workers and residents.

Margaret Alexander, 40, of Springfield, said she found sanctuary in a closet in her apartment during the tornado. After the storm passed she went outside and headed to the Mass Mutual Center on the advice of neighbors.

She and 15 family members - a sister, daughter, two grand-daughters and the family dog Sasha in a crate -- were at the cavernous makeshift emergency shelter. "I'm just happy to be with my family and that everyone is safe," Alexander said.

Jane Albert, spokeswoman Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, said the hospital was treating 10 seriously injured patients in its trauma unit and an unknown but significant number of less seriously hurt people.

"There is search and rescue going on throughout the region now, so we expect more patients," she said.

Among the injured in Springfield was a retired priest, according to a spokesman for the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Springfield.

The priest was living at St. Michael's Retired Priest Residence, which was damaged by the apparent tornado.

The storm hit as workers were beginning to leave for the evening commute home. A tractor-trailer overturned during the storm on the Memorial Bridge leading to West Springfield.

State police said in addition to Springfield they have reports of tornadoes in the communities of Agawam, Charlton, Monson, Oxford, West Springfield, Westfield, Wilbraham and Sturbridge.

Since 1950, Massachusetts has had about two tornadoes per year, and there had been none since 2008, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. The last deadly tornado in the state occurred on May 29, 1995, when three people were killed, NOAA said.

The state police Special Emergency Response Team was activated and its members were searching some damaged structures to make sure there are no people trapped inside.

Police closed some highway ramps leading into Springfield.

Upstairs at the Mass Mutual Center in downtown Springfield high school seniors graduating Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham this Friday were arriving for their prom.

Jola Wnuk said she almost didn't come because of the weather.

But her mother persuaded her to go. "She said it's once in a lifetime," Wnuk said.

Photographers setting up tables at the Mass Mutual Center said they had a frightening view of the tornado just outside the center's ceiling-to-floor windows.

The storm hit Springfield after a tornado watch was issued for much of the East Coast, including Philadelphia, New York and Boston.

State police said there was heavy damage in spots and troopers were prepared to do house-to-house searches if needed.

Bob Pashko, of West Springfield, said he was coming from his doctor's office when the storm started and he went to a downtown bar in Springfield to wait for a ride.

"The next thing you know the TV says a tornado hit the railroad bridge in West Springfield," said Pashko, 50. "It's the baddest I've seen."

At the bar, Pashko said, the owner told people to get away from the window as patrons saw the storm on TV.

"To see it live on TV when I'm five football fields away is better than being outside," Pashko said.

In Sturbridge, in central Massachusetts, a half-mile section of Main Street was shut down after a tornado apparently touched down, damaging homes and felling trees, according to town administrator Shaun Suhoski.

Suhoski said some people suffered "cuts, scrapes, bruises," though no serious injuries were immediately reported. But he said emergency crews were cleaning up after the storm blew trees into houses and severely damaged telephone poles and rooftops. A shelter has been set up in town at Tantasqua Senior Regional High School.

"It was a pretty heavy assault from the storm system and we're trying to dig out and assess it right now," Suhoski said.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, was scheduled late Wednesday to join Patrick in a planned tour of tornado damage. "Our immediate priority is the safety of families in every area affected or still threatened by this horrific disaster," said Kerry in a statement.

Patrick said there was extensive damage in Hampden County, especially to homes and other structures. He said there were a number of live wires down. The state has opened shelters for those whose homes were damaged or who need a place to stay.

Patrick repeated his call for superintendents in the 19 affected communities to cancel school Thursday. He said state employees in the those areas are also urged to stay home and off the roads to give cleanup crews a chance to work.

The governor also said he had preliminary reports of some looting in downtown Springfield. He said that looting tapered off as heavy rains set in. The State Police is securing the area. No looting arrests were reported.

Patrick said the damage has hit home for him and Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray. Murray is the former mayor of Worcester and Patrick owns a home in western Massachusetts.

"These are my neighbors and my friends, too; the lieutenant governor's as well," Patrick said. "We're worried about our friends and neighbors, our fellow citizens in western Massachusetts who have been affected by this terrible tragedy."

Massachusetts hasn't experienced a tornado since 2008, according to the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla.

The last deadly tornado in the state was on May 29, 1995. Three people were killed by the storm in the town of Great Barrington, Mass., along the New York state border.

On June 9, 1953, the deadliest recorded tornado in Massachusetts history cut a swath of destruction through the central part of the state, including the city of Worcester, killing 94 people and injuring hundreds.

---
Stephen Singer reported from Springfield, Mass. Associated Press writers Russell Contreras, Bob Salsberg, Jay Lindsay, Sylvia Wingfield and Steve LeBlanc in Boston; Kristi Eaton in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

You can watch YouTube videos of the tornadoes by CLICKING HERE.

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2011 now deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950

  By NOMAAN MERCHANTJOPLIN, Mo. -- The numbers look increasingly bleak for families hoping for the best after a monster tornado that devastated the town of Joplin, as the city has raised the death toll to at least 139 and state officials say 100 people are still missing.

President Barack Obama will fly to tornado-ravaged Joplin, Mo., Sunday. His visit comes one week after the massive EF-5 twister raced through the city with 200 mph winds. Obama returned to Washington Saturday night after a six-day trip to Europe.

Thousands more people far beyond Joplin had been waiting for good news about a teen believed to have been ejected or sucked from his vehicle on the way home from graduation. Several social-networking efforts specifically focused on finding information about Will Norton. But his family says he, too, is among the dead - found in a pond near where his truck was located.

"At least we know that he wasn't out there suffering," his aunt Tracey Presslor said, holding a framed portrait of her 18-year-old nephew at a news conference. "Knowing that he was gone right away was really a blessing for us."

Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr said Saturday during a news conference that the death toll rose by three to at least 142, but later revised that figure down to 139 without elaboration.

Mike O'Connell, a spokesman for the Missouri Department of Public Safety, told The Associated Press on Saturday that he could not confirm the city's updated death toll number. He said the state of Missouri currently places the death toll at 126, saying they have no reason to raise that number.

State officials say there are 142 sets of human remains at the morgue handling those killed by the storm and some could be from the same victim.

If the death toll does stand at 139, it would place this year's tornado death toll at 520 and make 2011 the deadliest year for tornadoes since 1950. Until now, the highest recorded death toll by the National Weather Service in a single year was 519 in 1953.

There were deadlier storms before 1950, but those counts were based on estimates and not on precise figures.

The tornado - an EF-5 packing 200 mph winds -also injured more than 900 people. Tallying and identifying the dead and the missing has proven a complex, delicate and sometimes confusing exercise for both authorities and loved ones.

Missouri officials said Saturday that the number of people unaccounted for stands at 100. The Missouri Department of Public Safety said that within that number, nine people have been reported dead by their families, but state officials are working to confirm those.

Newton County coroner Mark Bridges said most, if not all, of the people brought to the temporary morgue could be identified this weekend. He described officials there as "making real good progress."

After a mistake immediately after the storm - four people thought they had identified one person's body, only to be wrong - authorities are relying instead on dental records, photos and unique tattoos or piercings, Bridges said. They've also used DNA tests in a handful of cases, he said.

"We learned the hard way at the start," he said. "It's bad for the families."

Asked about calls to open the morgue to all families of the missing, Bridges said doing so would be impractical. He described the site as a number of dark, refrigerated trailers holding body bags.

"There's no place to let them into," he said.

There have been 1,333 preliminary tornado reports in the U.S.

through May 27, officials said, while the average number of confirmed tornadoes in a single year during the past decade has been 1,274.

Presslor said Saturday that the family received confirmation of his death late Friday night. She said her nephew's body was not found sooner because there was so much debris in the pond.

Family members had previously told The Associated Press that Norton and his father were still on the road when the storm hit.

Mark Norton urged his son to pull over, but the teen's Hummer H3 flipped several times, throwing the young man from the vehicle, likely through the sunroof.

Mark Norton remains in the hospital and is "having a really tough time" after being told his son's body was found, Presslor said.

About a dozen of Norton's classmates stood in the back of the room as she spoke. His funeral arrangements are pending.

Presslor thanked the thousands of people who posted good wishes for Norton on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites, and thanked all those who helped look for him. She urged those volunteers to keep looking for other people still missing.

"Please don't give up," she said.

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