Was That a Tornado in Easthampton? Nope, It Was a Microburst.
UPDATE: The National Weather Service has confirmed that it was a microburst.
Was there a tornado in Easthampton on Tuesday night?
Damage in Easthampton after severe storms Tuesday.
According to the Easthampton Police Captain Robert Alberti, the aftermath of severe storms — uprooted trees, downed power lines, and damaged homes — sure looked like a tornado. The center of damage appears to be the Mount Tom area, he said.
“Mountain Road is devastated, as are parts of Hendrick Street,’’ Alberti told The Boston Globe.
Easthampton Mayor Karen Cadieux also said she thought a tornado hit. Around 7:30 a..m. Wednesday, Cadieux wrote on her Facebook page: “Still checking the damage on Mt Road and Hendrick St with the Police and Fire Chiefs. At this point we believe it’s a tornado.’’
By late afternoon, the National Weather Service had confirmed that it was not a tornado, but a microburst.
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What’s a microburst?
A microburst is a convective downdraft less than 2.5 miles wide with peak winds lasting less than five minutes. They can cause severe wind damage to property — damage that often looks like a tornado.
No one was injured in the storm, according to MassLive. About 2,500 homes lost power during the storm, according to WWLP, but most had their power restored by late Wednesday morning.
Tornado or not, Cadieux has declared a state of emergency as the town recovers from the damage.
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