Pioneer Valley Weather History: The Tornado of 1877

It must have been the talk of the region for years after it happened. On June 14, 1877, a tornado swept through the Valley, damaging much of Northampton and destroying the covered bridge which crossed the Connecticut River to Hadley (likely where Route 9 crosses it now?). Not surprisingly, different accounts place difference numbers of people and horses on the bridge at the time the tornado struck. In the 1896 account provided in Edward Carpenter and Charles Moorehouse's history of Amherst, 11 people and six teams of horses went down with the bridge, and according to Celebrate Boston, 10 teams of horses and 15 people went down. It was also reported that a teenager was blown more than ten feet into the air and landed in the branches of a nearby tree. An article in the June 15, 1877 Boston Globe described the destruction:

"This afternoon, between 1 and 2 o'clock, a fierce tornado, a comparative stranger in New England, disported itself considerably in the valley of the Connecticut. There was a heavy rain and hail storm which was followed by a short period of 'puffs,' as they say at sea, and then came the cyclone moving in a black mass, tearing up trees, sweeping away sheds, fences, roofs of houses and what ever else it met in its course that was not firmly fastened.

At Northampton the gale reached its highest point of fury, and sweeping down the track of the river it struck the [covered] bridge which spans the Connecticut, lifted it from its abutments, twisted it into innumerable shapes, splintered its timbers and hurled its framework into the river below. 

On the bridge at the time there were about eight teams and a number of foot passengers, who had taken shelter from the storm. They came from both sides of the river, the larger number being from the Hadley side. With one or two exceptions these were precipitated into the water and a number drowned or crushed by falling timbers. One man, who was driving through, had just reached the end of the bridge and escaped, losing his horse and buggy. A woman named Mrs. Sullivan, from Old Hadley, was instantly killed and her body was taken out of the water soon after the accident.

[Enos] Cook, a Deputy Sheriff, had his leg broken, besides receiving a severe cut on the head and several internal injuries. He was taken to his home and he had since died. A man named Stout is also reported to have been killed. William Smith of Amherst had his shoulder dislocated by the fall, but managed to escape from the floating wreck. George B. Smith of Hadley, with three friends in his team, was crossing from Northampton and where he had been at work, and he and his companions were precipitated into the river, but they managed to escape with some slight bruises. Smith was considerably hurt, he lost his team. Two horses were taken out of the water alive, and it is said that on or two others swam to the shore further down river.

The bridge was entirely demolished, not a plank of it was left on the piers. It went off all at once and clean from its framework. It was 1214 feet long, and the newest half of it, the eastern, which was built to replace a portion carried off by a freshet, was about fifteen years old, the rest being considerably older. It is very remarkable that the next bridge over the Connecticut, north of the one blown down today, the Sunderland bridge, was also blown away less than six months ago during a winter gale, so that there is no highway bridge across the river between Holyoke and Greenfield, a distance of twenty-seven miles...."

Moral of the story: Do not take cover from a tornado on a covered bridge. And stop whining about all the rain we've been getting - it could be worse!

Stream Incursions

"Stream along State Street"
(looking north)  6/12/2013

Part of the street where I live – the upper half of State Street in North Amherst, about the length of four properties – is directly bordered by a small, largely unnoticed stream. In fact, stream may be overstating it. Creek? Swampy roadside hollow? In other words, you’re not going to find it on a map, and it’s dwarfed by Cushman Brook, which runs about 200 feet to the east and roughly parallel to this part of State Street until it merges with Puffer’s Pond. And even Cushman Brook could hardly be considered a major waterway.

I’m betting the only people who even know there is a waterway on this side of the street are the few adjacent home owners, our local DPW department (I hope), and anyone who has opted to park on the side of the road only to find their cars mired in mud at the end of their outing (it’s a perfect access point to swimming holes at Cushman Brook).  One Halloween night about four years ago, a friend of our son’s stepped off the side of the road to avoid an oncoming car and found himself ankle deep in muddy water. Humiliated as only a teen can be at such a predicament, he opted to walk several miles home rather than show up at our house in wet socks and sneakers. That’s when I first realized that the stream was no longer just a “rainy weather” affair. Still, in very dry weather the creek all but disappears, in spring it is overrun with skunk cabbage, and all year round it is hidden by vegetation, arching tree branches, and tall grass. 

"Stream" along State Street, stretching almost to the railroad
overpass (looking south), 6/12/2013

What’s interesting about all this is that the creek bed has become more pronounced over the years. When we first moved here 17 years ago, the stream surfaced only at the northernmost end of State – and even then I saw no evidence of water beyond the fact that the first house on the road had a charming little bridge built into their driveway.  About 8 years ago, the skunk cabbage started stretching further down the street, about 5 years ago cars started toppling into the roadside mud where before they could have parked with impunity, and over the past few years, the puddles that follow rain form immediately, grow quickly, hang around for a good while, and extend almost all the way down to the railroad overpass. 

I’m not sure at what point we decide to name this emerging water feature, build a bridge over it, and figure out how to keep the adjacent properties from washing away, but eventually that time will come. In the meantime, I will watch the waters ebb and flow and imagine thousands of years from now what kind of canyon will have formed from today’s little stream incursion.

Tropical Storm Season is Upon Us, Right on Cue

Those of you who tend to expect tropical storms at the end of the summer, brace yourselves. Hurricane season officially started June 1, and we will be feeling the effects of our first tropical storm tomorrow into Saturday.  We are currently under a flood watch, which remains in effect from Friday afternoon through Saturday morning. The remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea will bring heavy rainfall to southern New England (including the Amherst area), with the heaviest rain occurring Friday afternoon through Friday night. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches are expected with isolated 4 inch amounts possible. The heaviest rainfall is expected along and west of the I95 corridor . . . especially across Connecticut and interior Massachusetts. The primary threat from the heavy rainfall is areas of urban and poor drainage flooding. Sharp rises are expected on some of the smaller rivers and streams with minor flooding possible.

It's possible for "watches" to evolve into "warnings," so be alert to changes in the weather conditions. Oh and by the way, this year's hurricane season is forecast to be very active. We're only six days into the season with a tropical rainstorm almost upon us, so this could indeed be an interesting summer.

Stormy Weather Ahead, but the Water is Lovely

The water temperature at Puffer's Pond, just off South Beach, is a very swimmable 76 degrees this morning, up 13 degrees since Friday morning. If that's too warm for you, just upstream the water temperature of Cushman Brook is a cooler 66 degrees. Air temperature at Puffer's at 8:30 AM was 81F and rising. Anticipate severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.

Severe weather threat for Sunday, June 2 for Western New England

Storm front over Hadley MA, Spring 2011 (photo by S. Vardatira)

The good news is that a slow moving cold front will bring an end to our heat and humidity late tomorrow afternoon into Monday - less good is that this will also set the stage for the potential for isolated to scattered strong to severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, large hail, and flooding as the primary threats. The greatest threat will be in the Amherst area (as well as Southern New Hampshire, Western and Central Massachusetts and Connecticut) after 2 PM Sunday afternoon. Storm severity will depend on the timing of the cold front, specifically whether the timing will allow for sufficient heating to occur over interior areas of Southern New England, providing the trigger and lift for strong to severe thunderstorm development. Keep an eye on the sky tomorrow afternoon and be prepared.

Remembering the June 1st, 2011 Massachusetts Tornado Outbreak - 2nd Anniversary

6/1/2011 Tornado, Springfield MA

Below are excerpts from an email we received today from the ARES SKYWARN Coordinator in Massachusetts (links to video footage and tornado summary are included at the end):

We have reached the second-year anniversary of a historic day in Southern New England Weather History. The June 1st, 2011 Massachusetts Tornado Outbreak will be a day long remembered in weather history. This message includes a video collage of the June 1st, 2011 Massachusetts tornado outbreak, updates, and lessons learned that apply today.

The June 1st, 2011 event was forecasted by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) in Norman Oklahoma as far as 5 days out. This is very rare for New England to be in a convective outlook past 3 days. The outlook of 'Slight Risk' for severe weather would continue right up through June 1st. As we got into June 1st, a fast moving area of rapidly developing severe thunderstorms ahead of the warm front affected portions of Southern New Hampshire and Northeast Massachusetts producing large hail. These storms quickly moved out of area and were a sign of things to come and how explosive the atmosphere was on June 1st. Abundant sunshine and rapid heating and destabilization coupled with extremely strong wind shear values set the stage for a historic major severe weather outbreak in Massachusetts and other parts of New England. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman Oklahoma issued a Mesoscale Convective Discussion highlighting the need for Tornado Watches for much of New York and New England. The Tornado Watches would be issued and supercell severe thunderstorms would move into Southern New England.

Initially the supercells produced very large hail including hail slightly over 4" in diameter in East Windsor Massachusetts, Berkshire County, which may potentially set the new record for the Commonwealth as far as hail size but no tornadic or wind damage activity through 400 PM. This is when the supercell began to take shape in Western Hampden County Massachusetts and set the stage for the large, long track EF-3 Tornado that traversed the area from Westfield to Charlton Massachusetts for a 39-mile long damage path and was on the ground for 70 minutes. Three smaller tornadoes occurred in Western and Central Massachusetts from additional supercells moving through the area. Another area of supercells went through Northern Worcester County into Middlesex and Suffolk Counties producing Golf Ball Sized hail and pockets of wind damage all the way into the Metro Boston area.

The near real-time reporting of the large EF-3 tornado touchdown with initial preliminary reports in Westfield, the actual spotting of the EF3 Tornado by Western Massachusetts SKYWARN Coordinator, Ray Weber-KA1JJM, and the amazing remote webcam footage from WWLP-TV channel 22 in Springfield Massachusetts helped to tell people that not only was this a radar detected tornado but that it was definitely on the ground and doing significant damage. It is quite likely that many lives were saved by this near realtime reporting of the tornado being on the ground.


Many SKYWARN Spotters reported severe weather conditions despite being at risk from these powerful supercells. We are forever grateful for the reporting that helped save lives. The outpouring of damage assessment pictures and videos and reports near and after the event was unprecedented. This clearly helped Non-Governmental Organizations and local and state emergency management perform their duties to try and bring as many resources to bear on the significant path of destruction carved out by the tornado outbreak.

For the victims, today is likely a painful reminder of what occurred and what loses they faced and in some cases are still recovering from in terms of property damage and possibly lives lost. For those not impacted by such a significant event as June 1st and not impacted severely by the likes of Irene, Sandy, the February 2013 Blizzard and Snowtober over the past two years, this is a reminder that we must all be prepared for these significant weather situations. . 

We hope this remembrance makes people never forget what happened on June 1st 2011 and remind ourselves again that we must remain prepared and vigilant especially here in New England where events such as June 1st can happen but on a low frequency basis. A June 1st 2011 video collage has been posted at our SKYWARN video page at video.nsradio.org with recordings of some of the Amateur Radio reports that came in through the network. Below is the NWS Taunton - Massachusetts Tornado Summary, the ARRL Story on the June 1st Tornado Outbreak, the NWS Taunton June 1st Local Storm Report and the Raw Storm log from the WX1BOX Amateur Radio Station.

NWS Taunton Massachusetts Tornado Summary:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/sigevents/jun01_2011_summary.php

NWS Taunton Local Storm Reports 6/1/11:
http://www.wx1box.org/local/lsr_6_1_11.txt

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
Eastern Massachusetts ARES Section Emergency Coordinator

On Puffer's Pond: Dragonfly Politics

Puffer's Pond, morning before swimming crowds, 5/31/13
(Special thanks to those who cleared trash the prior evening)

Friday, 5/31/2013, 8:15 am: We're in the midst of a heat wave, with temps predicted to get up to 94°F this afternoon, but it's sheer perfection at this moment. Other than a few lone runners and occasional dog walkers, all smiling and friendly, there are fewer people around than normal. "Just need to beat the heat," commented one woman as she jogged up State Street. Except for me, Puffer's Pond itself is deserted at this hour (precisely why I chose to visit now and not later). Cars will be jammed into every available square inch of State Street by noon, and the beach will be wall-to-wall people into the late afternoon. Standing on a rock along the shore, I spot a school of tadpoles through the sunlit water. A downy woodpecker swoops overhead and proceeds to dart between nearby tree branches. I look out over the water and see dragonflies flitting along the surface, seeking out (I presume) mosquitoes. I smile because "dragonflies are our friends" - an oft-repeated phrase when our son was young. Everywhere, all around, life is happening. As I am about to return home, I run into a fellow Town Meeting member, who is out walking her dog, Honey. After gently lobbying for our respective positions on several upcoming articles - Town Meeting is more contentious than usual these days - we remember the time and head home in opposite directions. She is not thrilled about the large new wooden sign/bulletin board that has been erected, but not yet unveiled, near the center of the beach area (she assumes the town paid for it at great cost), but I am more approving. The structure is reminiscent of the signage at state parks, and while Puffer's has not been elevated to state park status, I think this gem in our town merits at least the appearance of being that official. Besides, whatever encourages swimmers to treat the area with care and remove their trash is a good thing. Air temperature: 72°F; water temperature: 63°F.

See past entries here.

Indonesia and Other Countries Visit Head in the Clouds Amherst

We have no way of explaining this, but yesterday and last week our blog, which consistently has way more viewers from the U.S. than other countries, actually had a significant spike in viewership from Indonesia. In fact, yesterday we had approximately 230 views, with 60% of those from Indonesia! Since we started at the end of October, we've had close to 12,000 views (79% from the U.S.; 3.3% from Germany; 1.7% from Russia; 1.6% from the U.K.; 1.4% from France; and 1.2% from Indonesia). After that comes Canada, Sweden, China and Poland - followed by a whole assortment of other countries. Which is pretty cool for a blog that focuses on Amherst life and weather!

Severe Thunderstorms Possible Today in Western MA

This is not going to come as any surprise to folks who have been outside this morning -  it's humid, sticky, and sunny, and all the conditions are percolating for some interesting weather this afternoon. 

About 30 minutes ago, the National Weather Service issued this "special weather statement" for our region today: "Scattered strong to possibly severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon. A cold front dropping south from Northern New England will become the focus for scattered thunderstorms to develop early this afternoon. Thunderstorms were already forming in southern New Hampshire late this morning. Additional storms will develop across Massachusetts, especially near the Mass Pike. Some storms may produce strong and possibly damaging wind gusts and hail in addition to lightning and heavy rainfall. If you have outdoor plans, have a safe place to go if thunderstorms approach, such as a vehicle or inside a home or building. Remember if you can hear thunder you are close enough to be struck by lightning."

Then Fire, Now Ice

After a few weeks of fire warning days, we now get a freeze warning. If you are like me and have seedlings outside in starter pots waiting to be planted, time to bring them inside (and if you've already planted them, keep your fingers crossed). Freeze warning for Hampshire County extends from 2 am to 9 am Tuesday (early morning hours).

Fire Advisory Across Region Today

Our region is currently under an advisory for elevated fire weather conditions - leaves and brush are dangerously dry and susceptible to ignition, we have low humidity, and afternoon NE winds are gusting to 15-20 mph. This is a trifecta in spreading open fires. Be aware of the dangers and take steps to prevent wildland fires from starting in the first place. The majority of wildland fires are a result of escape fires from open burnings by homeowners. All all open burning must have a permit, and in addition to obtaining a burn permit people should:
- clear the area around a pile of all flammable material
- never leave the fire unattended
- have a hose and tools like shovel or rake on hand
- burn only natural vegetative material
- call 911 immediately if things get out of control

Head in the Clouds Amherst Joins the Skywarn Spotter Ranks!

Cloud to Ground Lightning (but, NO, don't call to report lightning!)

Thrilled to report that I am now one of 290,000 official Skywarn Spotters across the country, granted such status by the National Weather Service. Not only is sounding the weather alarm tolerated, but it is required! The three-hour training last night in Greenfield was attended by some 50 people, from all across Western Massachusetts and even Connecticut. Emergency personnel, ham radio operators and (mostly) just weather enthusiasts all came together to learn the essentials about severe weather and when and what to report. In addition to getting my own Spotter ID number, I also brought home a treasure trove of weather-related materials, posters, magnets, Skywarn Spotter manual, etc. And I also now know a bunch of interesting weather facts, like the most deadly weather phenomena (do you know what tops the list?) and where to look for a possible tornado in a supercell. Oh, yeah, it was a fun night! To learn more about this program, visit their website here.

Will the Brood Cicadas Migration Reach Western Massachusetts?

Photo of periodical cicdas emerging (original can be found at
from UMass Agriculture and Landscape Program Website)

I'm not big into insects (okay, there's an understatement), and up until now, I've chosen mostly to ignore the teasers about the unique, every 17-year emergence across much of the U.S. East Coast of hundreds of millions of Brood II cicadas. But today, when the New York Times delivered up a lovely article on the topic entitled "Here Comes the Buzz," well, I really couldn't ignore it any longer. Fortunately, however - or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, we are unlikely to experience the big migration here in Western Massachusetts. (To my son in Pennsylvania, however, look out!) According to UMass Amherst entomologist Robert Childs (as reported by NPR), while Massachusetts and Connecticut used to on the edge of the periodical cicada's territory, development has disrupted their native habitats, leaving only one brood left in the region, on lower Cape Cod. 

I know I should feel sorry - even despondent  - about the habitat destruction that has driven the cicadas out of our area over time, but I'm actually quite relieved to learn that I'll be reading about it from a distance. I'm not proud of my reaction, but there you have it.

What about you? Are you sad or happy to miss "the buzz"?

LIVE Peregrine Falcon Webcam

Click HERE for the LIVE Peregrine Falcon Webcam

Anyone who pays even slight attention to the bird life in Amherst is sure to have seen our resident pair of peregrine falcons at some time in the last eleven years, as they nest every spring atop the W.E.B. Du Bois Library at UMass Amherst. I frequently spot one or both perched on trees around the intersection of Routes 116 and 9 in Hadley. But now, even if you never travel through our town, you too can watch this nesting pair courtesy of the live "falcon webcam" made possible by the UMass Amherst Facilities Planning Division, the Office of Information Technology, the Libraries' Systems and Web Management Department, MassWildlife, and the Friends of the Libraries. I have to admit it's thrilling to see them "up close and personal," although there's nothing quite like seeing them in flight, diving (they can dive from great heights at up to 200 miles per hour) and swooping for prey over the nearby farmland.

UPDATE (As of May 5): Three chicks have beeen spotted as of today!