The National Weather Service (NWS) recently confirmed that a series of powerful storms that tore across New England brought with them a tornado, leaving in its wake extensive damage and turmoil across the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut NBC Boston reports. The NWS survey team continues to ascertain if the destruction resulted from a continuous path or separate touchdowns, as well as the tornado's intensity, and path length and width.
130 PM Damage Survey Update | Survey team confirmed damage that took place in Killingly CT, Foster RI, Glocester RI, Lincoln RI & North Attleboro MA was tornadic. Team is still determining if it was a continuous path or separate touchdowns, a final EF-rating, path length & width.
— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) September 14, 2023
The storm system brought more than just a tornado – torrential rain opened up sinkholes and triggered severe flooding in several areas, with an additional 14 tornadoes reported across New England this year alone, including seven in Massachusetts.
The NWS survey team discovered damage consistent with a tornado in Killingly, Connecticut; Foster, Glocester, and Lincoln, Rhode Island; and North Attleboro, Massachusetts. Rob Megnia, a meteorologist with the NWS, mentioned that the agency had received reports of around 20 trees down in Killingly, Connecticut, as well as trees and power lines down in Foster, Rhode Island.
A likely tornado swept through parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island on Wednesday, toppling dozens of trees but causing no injuries or major structural damage, National Weather Service meteorologists said.https://t.co/1eT0ehGnYU
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 14, 2023
In Lincoln, Rhode Island, the high school stadium's press box was tipped over into the bleachers, and at least one roof was heavily damaged due to the tornado NBC Boston reported. Meanwhile, Glocester and Scituate saw significant damage along Bungy Road as trees were snapped, twisted, and uprooted, resulting in power outages and debris scattered across the streets.
Last week's flash floods from unusually heavy rainfall left dozens of Cranston residents displaced and caused significant damage to a shopping plaza in Providence, with the National Weather Service describing the event as a "200-year event". This year has been a particularly active one for wild weather, as New England witnessed five tornadoes that wreaked havoc in the region, and a storm that dumped up to two months' worth of rain over a two-day period in Vermont.
The threat of more turbulent weather looms on the horizon with Hurricane Lee barreling towards New England, expected to unleash another round of storms in the coming days. The National Hurricane Center has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for most of the New England coast and a Storm Surge Watch for southeastern Massachusetts.
Rhode Island Governor, Dan McKee, mentioned on social media that the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency is actively monitoring the fast-changing weather conditions over the next few days, signaling to residents of the region that a prepared and proactive approach is being undertaken by the state.
