The Worcester-Flint Tornadoes of 1953: When Nuclear Tests and Severe Weather Collide

[@vaughndues7253]

I was 7 years old and living in Flint when this tornado struck. It was terrifying and to this day remember the green sky and the noise. It really was like a huge railroad train. We huddled in our basement and were lucky as we and our house survived. One street away it was just horrible!

[@myrlyn1250]

My mother lived on Humphrey St. with no basement and three kids (aged around 1, 2, and 3.) She still talks about it occasionally, and heads for cover now whenever there's even a slight chance of a tornado. After seeing the pictures and hearing more about it, I understand why.

[@lanashart]

You’re 77?

[@Da_Real_Sigma]

womp womp

[@GreyTide512]

​@@Da_Real_Sigmayou ain't funny lil bro

[@sonsique]

@@lanashart77 year olds exist

[@dunodisko2217]

Imagine you nuked a tornado and it failed to dissipate and instead destroyed a town, making it uninhabitable for decades due to radiation

[@MalachiWadas]

*Atomic Twister intensifies*

[@hiturbine]

That would make it a "nukester."

[@threecheeseburrito]

​@@hiturbinesounds like a nickname for an aspiring teenage nuclear scientist

[@hiturbine]

@@threecheeseburrito Actually, it is a reference to a component of a gas turbine engine - the High Turbine that drives the High-stage Axial-flow Compressor

[@seanmurry6903]

Sci fi channels movies have entered chat

[@nothankyou4859]

I grew up near worcester and heard tales of this horrible tornado from some of my older family members. I could hardly believe it was real for the longest time. Thank you for making this video.

[@saullucey9541]

same boat here, I heard how it completely leveled one half of west boylston street

[@CSaw92]

I grew up five minutes from where the tornado destroyed Assumption college (which is now Quinsigamond Community College), just over the northern Worcester line, in West Boylston, and they have a plaque commemorating the tornado and the nuns that were tragically killed. A lot of people in my town talked about what they went through and how it was so hot and humid by 10 am. They said when the tornado hit, it was raining debris and they had no idea what was going on until they saw the damage the tornado left behind.

[@UltimateMTB]

I've lived here my whole life and never knew of this!

[@GourryGabriev25]

I currently live less than a mile from what was Assumption college and with how i was so enthralled with weather when i was younger, the Worcester tornado was a big deal to me, so living where it happened is sometimes a bit eerie

[@iversontucker5776]

My fiance grew up in Worcester. She said there was still remnants of a twisted up metal play set that was left in a ditch when cleanup happened. She grew up in the 70s and there was still evidence of this storm

[@Induratize2]

I grew up and live in Worcester county and people always told me "tornadoes never happen in Massachusetts" so it was cool to learn about this.

[@supertornadogun1690]

It disturbs me how many people say this kind of thing, especially in areas that have been hit by violent tornadoes in the distant past.

[@Jelly.Fish1212]

Fr. Like we just recently had a tornado warning and a confirmed tornado (I think)

[@KermitTheGamer21]

I live in Chicago and people always tell me the same thing. First they say "tornadoes never happen here", which is patently false as our town was under a tornado warning four times in the last two weeks alone (and one of those warnings produced an EF1). Then they'll say, "well...strong tornadoes can't happen because buildings interfere with the wind". When I point out the 1999 OKC F5 or even the Dallas EF3 from a few years ago they just say "well that doesn't count, it's the heart of tornado alley there". My dad is one of those people and when I was younger I got grounded once for "freaking out and scaring the kids" while he had a youth baseball team practicing outside in an active tornado warning...

[@ltcg1674]

I grew up in Ashburnham, and a few years back there was a pretty good sized tornado/waterspout that hit the lake behind my house only about 300 yards behind my bedroom and it was a wicked sight. No big damage, probably EF0 if that, but some tree branches and whatnot were broken. Seeing something like that in central mass definitely not something you'd expect but its a real possibility. They just had two EF1 tornados near there within the past few weeks, one in southern NH and one near Foxboro so you never know.

[@UserName-ts3sp]

@@KermitTheGamer21we say the same thing in columbus ohio. there’s a ridge west of columbus that’s a bit higher in terms of elevation + the urban heat island

[@TheTaxGeek]

My Mom and Dad lived through the 1953 Worcester Tornado. In fact, my Dad worked at the Norton Company, and the building he worked in was directly hit just minutes after my Dad left work. My Mom worked downtown and by the time she got to their home on Harrington Way (just west of Lake Quinsigamond) her car was covered in mud. She told me that once she got home she sat in the apartment shaking with fear--afraid to touch anything metal or electrical and waited for my Dad to come home. Nobody knew what it was until the news reports came in; it was commonly believed that tornados could not happen in New England because of the rolling terrain.

[@Stickman1001]

My father lived in Worcester when he was a little boy and was reported as a “lost soul” in the Telegram and Gazette. When school resumed many of his classmates and teachers were very surprised to see him at his classroom desk. That family story always effected me so I’ve gone on to learn a lot about the Worcester Tornado including researching the other damage paths that happened from the other smaller and less violent tornados that day including the southern most cell that traveled only a few miles from my current home. I had no idea Nuclear testing factored into the decision to limit the warnings and how they were written that day. I just assumed someone feared people would overreact. Sad how things may have been different.

[@spingleboygle]

that must’ve hurt

[@TimmyTuesday82]

It was a crazy event. My mother told me about her Dad carrying her over the downed power lines out in the neighborhoods by Great Brook Valley as they hiked in to see if her grandparents were still alive.

[@myrlyn1250]

My mother lived 3 blocks south of Coldwater Rd. on Humphrey (Beecher school district.) She was at home with 3 children when the tornado went through. The house wasn't damaged other than some broken windows, but she is still terrified of tornadoes. Quite understandably, really. Evidently, my brother (6 months old) slept through it.

[@thelonehussar6101]

Never thought I’d hear a story about radioactive hail falling on a city thousands of miles from a nuclear test site, yet here we are.

[@jim9930]

If your older than 60, you have easily measurable strontium 90 in your bones - almost anywhere on the planet!

[@stillamazed27]

I live in a suburb of Cleveland, and I thank you for covering the Cleveland F4. So many people talk about Flint and Worcester and skip over Cleveland. My mother was a few months old living off Lorain Avenue and the tornado missed their house by just a little bit.

[@jamesmelcher9355]

I lived in Lakewood, just west of Cleveland, in the late 1990s. I’d known about the Flint and Worcester tornadoes, but had no idea there had been a tornado that went only a few miles south of where I once lived in Clifton Boulevard until I saw this. Wow.

[@katiekane5247]

​@@jamesmelcher9355I wasn't born until '58 but my grandparents both lived in Lakewood. I grew up in Avon Lake, my sister still lives in Bay Village. Small world 💕

[@projectkandi6150]

i used to live right outside of cleveland. instead of being sane i moved to tornado alley

[@jerrycote659]

My Uncle was a student at Assumption College in Worcester when the June 9, 1953 tornado tore through the campus. There weren’t classes on campus that day, however, he had been there to get some of his things from his dorm room to bring back home when the tornado hit without warning. He was lucky and the dorm building he was at wasn’t severely damaged, however, most of the campus was not as fortunate. He has since passed, but, he often recalled the terror that he experienced that day and how he had no idea what was happening during the event since they were totally unfamiliar with tornadoes.

[@codfishbricker]

No matter what decade or century it is, Flint can't get a break from profound & unique environmental tragedy. Got to live there a few years ago. Forever thankfully. Some of the best & strongest people ive ever known

[@BrettonFerguson]

There are Tornadoes in and around Flint all the time. It isn't some rare unheard of unique environmental tragedy. I live in Lansing and tornadoes come through every year. Not as many as in Oklahoma or Kansas, but tornadoes in lower Michigan are not Unique. We had 7 confirmed Tornadoes in Michigan just last Thursday.

[@forrrrestjohncave]

@@BrettonFerguson Not to mention the one in Gaylord last year that was a large EF3.

[@mikepastor.k6233]

My mother lives in the Kearsley district. About 10 mile southeast of Beecher and she said she remembers walking out of her house that day to go shopping downtown and "couldn't breath". So they skipped it and soon the sky turned green and then black.. 😮 luckily it missed their home but everybody was just outside looking at the sky and it's no wonder there were so many deaths.

[@jjk2one]

@@BrettonFerguson Mega solar farms cause rain, heat and tornados then there's generators that make energy from the tornados. Let's see if this comment makes it.

[@miadzag]

​@@BrettonFerguson yeah, but they're usually always small. Like someone's shed roof blows off, and a big tree branch falls on someone's car in their driveway, not whole neighborhoods devastated into piles of rubble.

[@sheagoff6009]

My grandma remembers this tornado. She lived about an hour away from where the tornado hit but she remembers wanting to go drive around and look at the damage. Her dad told her that it wasn’t a good idea because everyone was dealing with the devastation and didn’t need people looking around.

[@vhhawk]

I lived 6 miles east of the El Reno tornado. Primary roads outbound from OKC were jammed. The weathermen that day were clearly agonizing over causing potentially deadly traffic jams. Your Worcester analysis gave me chills as I remembered that day. I went southward on secondary roads until I reached I-44, then I looped back northward and eastward on secondary roads behind the tornado's path. It took six hours to get back home, where all was well. The weatherman's dilemma.

[@MisterWhatWhat]

Ex-Yukon resident here, that day was insane!

[@indy_go_blue6048]

I saw this in a stormwatcher's video. They thought it was a dumb thing to do and feel the station was lucky it dissipated.

[@adamh9660]

I love the longer videos. It enables you to provide all of the important context and information that should not be glossed over. I also really love the map shots with the pinpoint locations of photographers. Provides awesome context that puts the viewer right there into the midst of the disaster. Keep it up!!

[@Job.Well.Done_01]

Agree!

[@RikkiSpanish]

The Flint-Beecher tornado always gives me chills. Being from S.E. lower Michigan, it's frightening to think about something so awful being capable of happening so close to home. A lot of us here get complacent and don't think that we can get that kind of weather. My parents were just small children in Detroit back in 1953, but they remembered having to take cover that evening. We have lived in Mt. Clemens on and off through the years. My husband and his family are from Temperance. His grandmother remembers the twister that touched down that day. I pray that with the technology we have today, Michigan will never suffer such devastation ever again.

[@michaeljohnson7493]

I didn’t realize that Michigan had such a nasty tornado history until I looked it up. That’s because I don’t remember hearing about monster twisters up there, and I’ve been around awhile. Like you said, I pray everyone is aware of the possibility and that they have a plan and a safe place to go when a tornado is coming.

[@dillyboyq]

Yep as a fellow Michigander myself I can attest to this statement. And then in 2022 Gaylord (which is only 20min away from where I live) got nailed by an EF3 and it just opened my eyes even more. Even tho up north in the mitten where I’m at is less prone to those strong-violent type tornadoes, Gaylord served as a reminder that it can and WILL happen.. and we just have to be prepared. Hoping we don’t have to see any violent tornado touchdowns for a long long time.. and fun fact, for states that have and can get strong/violent tornadoes; Michigan is in the longest drought since having one. And I’m all for keeping that streak alive for as long as possible.

[@PereMarquette1223]

@@michaeljohnson7493we haven’t had many strong tornadoes in recent years, but we do get them. Gaylord is the most recent. Had a few other EF3’s, but for the most part Lake Michigan can make or break storms. We’ve only had a handful of EF4’s (F4) and one EF5 (F5). Mostly we just get a small weak spin up. Flint, Kalamazoo, Port Huron and Grand Rapids have all seen major twisters.

[@nicoledoubleyou]

Wait I'm confused, forgive my ignorance but how will better technology prevent Michigan from being hit by really destructive tornados?

[@PereMarquette1223]

@@nicoledoubleyou I think what he means is better warnings. These people essentially had little to no warning.

[@douglasgriffiths3534]

My dad was a truck driver for Kroger supermarket back in 1953. He and another driver took food and supplies to the Beecher area a couple days after the tornado. He took along my mom's Kodak Brownie camera (which I now own) to take pictures of the damage. Since both of my parents are deceased, I have those pictures now, nearly 2 albums worth, and in color. Dad said the damage to see first hand was unbelievable and frightening. Like a bomb was dropped. The pictures are scary enough. The tornado happened 3 an a half years before I was born, but I remember my parents and an aunt and uncle who lived in Saginaw talk about the tragedy when I was a kid. (Jan Griffiths).

[@indy_go_blue6048]

Those shouldn't be lost. You should get someone to help you publish them if the quality is good enough. Thanks for your story.

[@douglasgriffiths3534]

@@indy_go_blue6048 Thank you for your concern. I have them with a digitizing service to preserve them. I should have them back soon. These won't be lost, I promise you. (Jan Griffiths).

[@dennyross5602]

Did you ever get those photos published please do!!

[@thecamerachannel]

It’s a good day when weatherbox posts a new video

[@SillyRock4]

Fr

[@OceanMan1997]

Damn right

[@Nawojczyk]

Yes.

[@Ethan_Schrock11]

Ya

[@Wx140]

Fr bro

[@blueyesfaerie]

I never thought I'd see my two favorite subjects (weather and nuclear history) in the same video, but here we are! That was absolutely fascinating, thank you. As someone who lives in New England (CT) I love when "local" storms get analyzed, though most of them were before my time. I really appreciated the point about the elevation differences helping to strengthen the storm-even now the Connecticut river valley tends to get the worst of the weather that comes through.

[@tylerthompson5859]

Please, by all means, make these longer videos, and take your time making them. The details and research you do is very obvious, and you do a very good job with them. I will not stop coming back.

[@samdaman2939]

I live in Massachusetts and I’ve heard multiple stories about the Worcester Tornado, the tornado was the deadliest in New England’s history, killing 94 and injuring a massive 1,288. Me hearing these stories peaked my interest in tornadoes, and has kept me interested in tornadoes to this day, so I thank you for going over the Worcester Tornado, as it started my interested in tornadoes in the first place, bless the souls of the families who lost members due to this tornado, and thank you for bringing attention to it.

[@TheNewNews]

As an Elkhart resident, I think the 1965 Palm Sunday outbreak would be a great one to cover. Twin F4s striking Goshen, Midway, Dunlap, and Elkhart. Always heard about it growing up.

[@janetlincoln1663]

I grew up in Genesee county Flint Michigan. I was 3 years old. My father was part of the rescue and recover team.

[@AlcoLoco251]

Thank you for mentioning the Port Huron-Sarnia tornado. I grew up in Port Huron and the tornado is extensively talked about there, especially in the railroad community. The tornado derailed a train that was leaving town, then went right alongside the south side of the railroad yard, damaging the Port Huron & Detroit roundhouse, destroying the Pere Marquette roundhouse, and causing damage to lots of railroad cars and locomotives.

[@Drosera420]

Just putting a recommendation for Greensburg. That event is a groundshed moment for the effectiveness of a proper early warning system in conjunction with good tornado shelters. That town got absolutely annihilated by a monster tornado... and most people were unharmed. 95% of Greensburg was destroyed. 961 homes and businesses were totally destroyed, 216 had major damage, and the 307 remaining had minor damage. A population of 1,400 people, only 13 were killed by this tornado, with only 65 injuries.

[@meghanhause9435]

I don't think so, that tornado is very well known and there are a ton of weather videos about it, he should do a video of the 2008 Parkersburg, Iowa EF-5, the 2nd EF-5 in history and a much stronger one that had more footage of it, yet is seems to be forgotten about.

[@grapeshot]

This was the last tornado to kill over 100 people in a city until the Joplin tornado of 2011.

[@thereturnofjon]

insane.

[@philipgermani1616]

My mom was a kid in Cleveland and vividly remembered that June 9 tornado. Her family lived just east of where the tornado weakened and moved into Lake Erie. They had advanced warning and expected to get hit. They had been watching I Love Lucy on TV. She was traumatized and told us incredible stories of that storm.

[@Wx140]

You are my favorite weather documentary maker! Keep up the great work! I live near Flint and always wanted to know more about this event.

[@firetook1737]

I also live near flint and as soon as I saw it I watched it

[@sk8razer]

Same! The algorithm recommended Alferia to me when they only had a handful of videos and (if I remember correctly), fewer than 100 subs. It's been super cool watching the channel grow and watching them develop and perfect their style! Every time I watch an Alferia or WeatherBox video, I'm always left thinking "Dang! This kid is FANTASTIC!"

[@sk8razer]

I'm also a big fan of Swegle Studios! All 3 channels have a similar vibe that's kinda difficult to come by in the Pop Metrology genre. I understand why the genre has a lot of unintentionally cringe, exploitative, disrespectful, & misleading clickbait style content that's similar to The Weather Channel in the US and Canada (I think??). I'm ngl, I'm definitely fascinated morbid chaos, even though it stirs up a whole range of intense emotions. But I prefer a more low-key, straightforward educational experience that clearly explains the actual metrology in addition to the overall history. "Riveting and dramatic" aren't really my thing lol. But I do enjoy hearing stories about how much people help each other during and following catastrophes, which is usually a significant part of The Weather Channel's soap opera style shows. My favorite part about being a paramedic is how there's almost always multiple bystanders trying to help people who are in need of emergency medical care. Idk how I got off on this whole tangent here lmao Check out Swegle Studios, if you haven't yet tho

[@ElleriaZer]

I also enjoy Carly Anna wx. Her videos also have some focus on the human impact and recovery.

[@Wx140]

@@sk8razer I love swegle studios videos but he doesn’t make documentary style videos like these guys, but I still like his videos

[@faronrich9381]

I never thought I would hear about this on KZbin. My family lived 30 miles south of Flint, and looking at your map and knowing their description of the storm, they may have experienced one of the supercells. This weather system left an indelible mark on my mother and many others in the area, and even though I was born in 1958, I learned about the Flint tornado as a young child.

[@Wolfheart-zl9lf]

Hi Weatherbox! Local Massachusetts resident here. Thank you for covering this story. My paternal grandparents were kids living in Worcester at the time, and they have so many stories from June 9th. Those spawned my fascination of tornadoes. One small note, the pronounciation at 21:59-22:00 is slightly off. But no worries, it happens all the time with our cities and towns. The town of Barre is pronounced Bear-y. But like I said before, thank you doing the Worcester tornado and all those affected by it justice! Much love from Massachusetts. Also many points for pronouncing Worcester correctly!

[@ruthhartling3067]

I'm pleased that he got Worcester right, but I was a little sad about Barre, (not "Bar"!), where I once lived. Massachusetts names are a nightmare for outsiders.

[@Wolfheart-zl9lf]

​@@ruthhartling3067 Oh 100%. Scituate, Reading, Woburn, and Cochituate are some of my favorites 😂

[@bojomoonlight]

i really appreciate you going into some detail about the injuries/casualties. that’s something that is always overlooked in other tornado analyses and it really helps to showcase the extreme damage and horror for everyone involved

[@hgbugalou]

I couldn't imagine living in the midsouth where I do without tornado watches or warnings. It would be terrifying to have no heads up and just seeing one on the horizon. I'm thankful to have the nws and spc watching out for us.

[@Samantha-tl5pk]

Ann Lovell & Joan Lovell-Karias were both my great-aunts who were killed in the 1953 tornado, near the Worcester/Shrewsbury line. I grew up hearing stories of the tragedy & how deadly this tornado was to Western MA. It's so crazy how times have changed compared to then vs. now, with warnings and predictions for weather systems. I recently just came across your channel - I've always been fascinated by weather patterns & storm tracking. Your videos are so well done & informative - thank you for the content & keep up the great work!

[@ktrinablue3774]

Living between Lubbock and Amarillo, Texas I am no stranger to tornadic weather yet I have learned more from you than in any science class in high school or college. You explain weather in a way I can understand. I look forward to every video and watch each one several times. Your videos are not only educational, they are mesmerizing!!!! Perhaps you can do a video sometime on the Lubbock, Texas - May 11, 1970 F5 tornado that formed from a retreating dryline. Our city was also struck by an F4 tornado that same year on April 17th. Three years later, we were struck again by an F3 on April 15, 1973.

[@Matt-vs4zz]

Great video! I live in Massachusetts and I’ve been fascinated by the Worcester tornado. I’m in Worcester fairly often and it just blows my mind that such a huge tornado hit that city. Side note, we just had an EF-1 go through Easton, the next town over from me over the weekend. Watching the weather reports huddled downstairs while we waited for the all clear I was able to pick out the area of rotation on the Doppler/wind shear maps from watching your videos :)

[@maxfavata5492]

Deeply appreciate a video on this tornado. Lived in Worcester my whole life, we have multiple monuments to the tornado, and my house was built directly after the tornado, but no one is ever taught nor told about this event unless you have family that were here when it occurred. Amazing video

[@sergio9603]

Youngstown area forecaster here - the Niles-Wheatland F5 was actually produced by a supercell along the cold front on 5/31/1985 (you also referenced this in your video on that outbreak :)) The cluster east of the front spawned the Albion PA F4 among others a bit earlier in the evening. Nice work on the video as always though!

[@ZolFox]

I grew up near Worcester and all I have to say is…I’m not sure how you were able to do this, but you pronounced EVERYTHING involved with the Massachusetts area 100% correctly…which is literally an incredible feat, I must say. But actually, thanks for covering this. No one talks about it much since it got bumped from the spot of 10th deadliest back before like 2006 when climate change started producing devastating storms. As far as injuries go though, 1300 is fuckin crazy bro. That’s quite scary. Have you ever considered talking about the Springfield, MA one in very early June maybe 2011, can’t quite remember the year. I’d moved far from there several years earlier. Edit: as the first response to my comment points out, you and (I guess) I mispronounced the town of “Barre” which I had forgotten about because of the small population (compared to most towns there)…it’s actually “Beh-ree” for whatever stupid reason. At this point my running theory is that they’re trying to pinpoint all the “out of state” people, with towns like “Woburn” (Woo-burn), “Leicester” (Les-ter), and “Gloucester” (Glos-ter) cuz I mean how the hell is anyone supposed to just know that, you know? Which is why I still say you did an exceptional job with the pronunciation.

[@notyourdadah5457]

Except Barre is more like "Berry" not Bar

[@ZolFox]

@@notyourdadah5457 yes this is true. I missed this one, or probably just zoned it cuz I’ve never been there or knew anyone from there or even anyone who’s been there. The population has got to be like 2000 if I had to guess (keep in mind I haven’t been to the state in 17 years, so that could’ve changed. Oh shit, actually now I remember that town very specifically cuz I made a remark about how they couldn’t leave it as Barre, cuz it’d actually just be “ba” lol. You’d be from ba,ma. But seriously the state itself is fuckin weird. Cuz it’s surrounding states, CT, RI, NH, VT, and ME too…all have some form of…”the accent”…but MA seems to be the only state that has always had an “out-of-state” indicator in place in the way they say the names of the towns, regardless of the accent. Like one example I love to bring up is “Woburn”. Why the fuck would that shit be pronounced the way it is, spelled like that, like seriously…unless it’s to single out everyone who isn’t from there…which is a little neurotic…or it’s a little something. There’s a fair amount of normal towns as well…Watertown, where I grew up. I actually knew the officer who ended up being played by J.K. Simmons in Patriots Day. I graduated same year as his son, who was also in the movie. I actually acted in plays with him which is crazy to think about. All that shit went down just 3 blocks from the house I grew up in. I left in 2006 though. Then there’s towns like Waltham that confused some and not others. Also I just looked it up. Is that bitch McCarthy STILL the mayor of that shit? It’s been like 20 years. I knew her nephew that she raised…to be a rapist who raped 3 of my ex-girlfriends and she pulled all kinds of strings and the whole thing was silenced. That’s insane. Ok sorry, I’ve probably drifted on epic tangents, wrote way too much and overshared to an uncomfortable degree…all things I’m working on with my therapist lol. I spend a lot of time on here…it’s my tv. And I have a channel, but all guitar covers so I can’t get people to sub with longevity, unfortunately. I’m trying though. Thanks for pointing out the one that I missed. I’ve been away too long now it seems. MAHTIN SCOAHSESE!

[@amberdellana7416]

The 2011 Tornado happened on June 1st of that year. I graduated from high school 2 days after it. I remember how crazy it was because I was at work and the weather was just getting crazier. Our Sturbridge store called us and told us that they had just been hit by a tornado. We thought that they were joking until we looked out our drive thru window and was watching it pass by us. If you go through southbridge you can still see the damage.

[@dilanbrinkley3587]

Y'all just hate R's and have a really weird fetish for H's

[@derbagger22]

It was during Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals that Boston ended up winning. I remember hearing about that tornado to my SW and heard about another potential cell due north. I chased it but it was moving at 60mph west-east and I couldn't catch it. Never dropped a funnel. Almost got hit by lightning on the way home. Finished watching the game. You can see that twister on YT where it crosses the Connecticut River and lands in downtown Springfield. I had just been to the MacDuffie School a few weeks before to help a student client move out and fly home. MacDuffie had sold the school campus and was moving north to Granby. That twister destroyed a few of the buildings. I guess insurance covered that for the new owners. Crappy start to that endeavor. I also followed the path of destruction a few days later. I had at least 4 clients that lived within a mile of the path. A good friend of mine and her family lived about 1/4 mile from where it lifted in Southbridge. That sucker was straight as an arrow for about 40 miles. Until very recently you could clearly see the swath where it crossed the Mass Pike...

[@hiturbine]

Thanks for posting this video. I grew up in Worcester and Shrewsbury. My mother was a teenager when this storm hit Worcester County. She was riding a bus across the Lake Quinsigamond Bridge, just as the tornado crossed the lake and into Shrewsbury. She remarked to a friend seated next to her: "That's a funny looking cloud," not knowing it was a tornado. My dad, in his mid 20's at the time, would often tell us the tragic story of a young girl whose legs were severed by the storm when the house in which she lived collapsed.

[@PenePasta_IsGood]

Westborough here!

[@hiturbine]

@@PenePasta_IsGood "Back in the day" (1978) my girlfriend and I (she was 15 and I was 17) often patronized a Dairy Queen there. Is that place still in business?

[@BenPat88]

The longer the better buddy, I’d watch a 5 hour video covering a single event. Excellent as always, keep it coming!

[@bobbenson6825]

So good to have you back! If the Sharknado franchise is looking for new "inspiration" just imagine what they could do with this.

[@robertweldon7909]

I'm from Cleveland and was 6 years old when that big tornado struck, I don't remember it for some reason. I do remember a small tornado hitting at w 150th street and Fidelity Ave. (what is known as a skipper). It took the chimney off my grandfather's home and destroyed the house next door. I used to think that was in 1958, `it must have been in 1953. I wonder? That day is what got me interested in the weather, as a hobby. I do remember having bad dreams for weeks afterwards. Another great video, don't stop'-)

[@TrinityCourtStudios]

Dude, I’m from Massachusetts and just shared this video with my bf and my other train friends who are interested tornadoes as much as I do. This was a BRILLIANTLY done video. Keep it up, Steve!! And take your time making the videos! It’s like waiting for a good meal. It takes time to cook!

[@Taylor1999]

There is a story from a Boy Scout camp I went to when I was younger, near Worcester about how a tornado came down and killed 2 scouters. That storm, and this storm, I heard a lot about from my parents and their friends. I hope to not see the devastation caused to Worcester again. Those storms were once in a lifetime, and caused tragedies for many. Thanks weatherbox for talking about these (and all your other videos!)

[@AlexBigShid]

My Grandpa always told my mom that when he was 20s he sat and watched the Flint tornado tear apart several farms in the distance (he lived maybe 10 miles away from the touchdown location), crazy to think how deadly it was looking back at it.

[@renc7769]

I live not too far from Worcester myself, and knowing such a devastating storm was possible in this area is a little chilling. I remember personally seeing some of the damage left by the far more recent Springfield tornado (2011), and to know that that storm pales to the Worcester disaster really puts this into perspective. I don’t exactly understand a lot about the damages tornadoes can really cause, being from an area that so rarely encounters them. But to know the one of the most deadly tornadoes ever recorded occurred within a half an hour’s drive from my home is definitely something to think about.

[@IsaacTOGG]

I love the stories of Flint Beacher. My great uncle has first-hand accounts of the tornado/tornadoes from that day!

[@nationalskyline]

Yes!! Finally! As a Worcesterite, I've been waiting for this episode. This tornado left an indelible mark on the city. As someone else mentioned, there is a prevailing thought that "tornadoes don't happen in Massachusetts," so this was a shock. Older folks here will tell you stories about it.

[@Jelly.Fish1212]

It was my grammas 2nd birthday!

[@richardmumford9400]

tornadoes also never happen in alaska go places

[@carolhay121]

I was born the next Spring and lived 20 miles south from the Beecher tornado. My mother, as well as so many others, lived in fear of storms after that. I grew up spending many storms in our basement celler afraid of what could happen. Thank goodness for the weather knowledge and technology today.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

An observer of the storms that produced the Worcester tornado said the supercells were 12 to 13 miles tall and the lightning display was continuous "at 25 to 30 flashes per second" as the line moved out to the Atlantic.

[@jjk2one]

I wonder what color uranium gas is???

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@jjk2one Uranium is a solid metal.

[@jjk2one]

@@RideAcrossTheRiver Geee, not from a nuke. I mean are you kidding. Nukem forever - Duke Energy.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@jjk2one Once the bomb's function ceases, any leftover vaporized uranium will bind chemically with other elements, probably oxygen, and settle out of the atmosphere as uranium oxide dust mixed into water droplets or attached to other dust. There is no 'uranium gas'.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@jjk2one Once the bomb's function ceases, any leftover vaporized uranium will bind chemically with other elements, probably oxygen, and settle out of the atmosphere as uranium oxide dust mixed into water droplets or attached to other dust.

[@andrewblackburn1426]

I don’t know that “enjoy” is the right word for how I feel about a video covering a topic like this. However, I can say that I was impressed at the level of detail, the straightforward presentation of the facts, and the reference to other events with similar characteristics. So thank you for the detailed deep dive on the topic.

[@footticklersofohio6377]

Hello. I was wondering if you could do a video on the Grand Isle, Nebraska tornadoes of 1980. Fujita did a detail report of the unique tornadoes. Thanks

[@thonatim5321]

@4:55 My mother (aged 16) witnessed the Port Huron tornados. I say tornados (plural) because there were actually 3 of them. A main wedge and 2 satellite tornados that rotated around the main wedge. My Mother was on the front porch and never saw a tornado before. She did not know what it was and called for her Mother. When my Grandmother came to see the weather, she panicked; so my Mother had to get her Mom and her little brother to the interior room. The satellite tornado brushed by them and tore some singles off, knocked over a few trees but no serious damage. She spoke about this day every time there was a thunderstorm in the area until her recent death

[@emmie0426]

Weather has always given myself and my mother really bad anxiety. My mom has had to deal with a lot of stressful and traumatic situations during major weather conditions. As well as me being born only a before after Katrina a category 5 Hurricane that hit us hard in Texas. So watching videos like this help calm me down with how much information and facts you present the entire video. It’s greatly appreciated! Also maybe doing one of out big Texas hurricanes would be a cool idea for a video. Like the 1800’s hurricane that wiped out Galveston or Katrina as it did kill over 1,000 souls. ❤️

[@galacticgardevoir9496]

When I was a kid, there was a tornado that touched down in MA and stripped a stretch of trees right across one of the highways I used to frequent as a kid. I was always fascinated that something could be so powerful as to just totally strip trees to toothpicks. Now, as an adult, I'm horrified that things can do much worse than that. You won't ever catch me moving into tornado-prone areas.

[@JasontheFolf]

I recommend you take a look at the June 1st, 2011 Springfield, Mass tornado. I remember watching it touch down live on TV and just the chaos the weather caused throughout the day. Keep up the great work.

[@amberdellana7416]

That year was crazy as it hit more than just Springfield it hit Worcester County all the way to Springfield which is wild.

[@BigDColeman]

17:06 I grew up in this area. That tornado would have been visible from my great grandparents house on Emery Ave. where I lived. Which was between W. 130 St. & Bellaire. Had this tornado happened when I was living there and not in 1953, I would've seen it from our backyard. I could've also seen it from my uncle's house which is between W 130 St. & W. 117 St. Which might have been in the tornado's path.

[@kat021171]

In May 1985 I lived about 30 miles west of Newton Falls/Niles when those storms came through while I was in the middle of a baseball game. Just before we cleared the field, I saw a lot of turbulence and rotation in the clouds passing over. When hearing that night about what happened to the east, I was not surprised, and was grateful to have avoided something worse than a 30-minute rain delay.

[@SheilaKaneDecoy]

I live in south eastern Massachusetts. On Saturday night we had a tornado on the ground (EF1). Nobody around here (myself included) seemed to think this was possible here. Western MA had an EF 3 about 10 years ago. But here on the coast? It was shocking. Just like you hear about in the Midwest… the sky turned green, then almost instantly you could hear a “train”. However, it wasn’t a train, it was a tornado. I’m still in disbelief.

[@reddeadeaglet5672]

The production and quality of these videos are so good. Very beneficial and educational for the public too. Since we're expecting at least a moderately strong El Niño this winter I recommend covering some of Florida's deadliest/more notable tornado outbreaks (1958, 1966, 1998, and 2007), all of which coincided with El Niños.

[@calyodelphi124]

It took me a few days to finally get around to watching this, but I thoroughly enjoy each and every weather video you put out! Keep 'em coming at a sustainable-to-you pace! :3

[@ashstargloww]

I remember learning about the Worcester tornado, and it fascinated me. In an area where there are few tornadoes, let alone violent ones, a devastating tornado ripped through a town

[@patrickmcneilly4293]

Although it's not tornado or snow storm related, I was reminded of a historic flooding event that happened in Sussex and Morris Counties in New Jersey in August of 2000. Thr storm dumped 14inches of rain and blew out several dams. Also, awesome video as usual!

[@TheShadedDragon]

this channel is criminally underrated, you deserve so many more subscribers! keep up the amazing work dude!

[@warrenmadden2586]

Great job as always. I grew up a few miles east of the Blue Hill Observatory (climbed up to it many times in my younger years), and I recall my mother telling me that she saw papers fluttering down from the sky that day. Certainly not your typical New England summer weather!

[@almyska467]

I grew up in Rutland (born in 1956). As a child I remember being fascinated by our mailman because he had only one ear. He lost the other in the 1953 tornado.

[@grapeshot]

That picture of the tornado in the background and that lit house in the foreground always looks so ominous.

[@zagnathar2956]

i grew up just west of flint and beecher and i remember whenever there was a bad storm my great grandmother would always mention “the storm” and i never learned what it was from her but my grandma eventually told me it was a tornado in 1953 and i had to research it myself and i was shocked because i didn’t think a tornado that powerful could happen in michigan let alone a few miles away and i’ve always taken weather seriously since

[@racerxfile]

This is an exemplary documentary combining so many different facets of meteorology, geopolitics, and the impacts to the people in these towns. So many excellent nuggets of information (the radar scans from MIT, the letter from Reichelderfer) that I was unaware of after many hours spent researching this outbreak. Well done!

[@Nawojczyk]

Steve to Steve: Bravo. I was jonesing for your channel really really bad. I even tried to watch local weather before getting a tad sick to my stomach. Don’t stay away so long. Over and out.

[@Griffinburtt]

This is a great video about the Worcester tornado, most of my family is from Leicester and Barre Mass and a lot of them have told me stories about the tornado and I have done some research into it but the way you put it in this video is way better than reading some random article, thank you

[@brendandillinger9903]

I CAN NOT DO THE GREEN, WE’RE SLURRY OFF THE PURP

[@envis10n12]

Not sure how your channel ended up in my list but I'm so happy it was. Hoping for an active but safe season this year.

[@BennettAwx]

my grandpa said he witnessed the Flint Tornado, he said he thought it was a spaceship, later to find out it was this tornado, he was only 7 years old

[@weatherboxstudios]

I've never heard of a spaceship comparison before, but I could totally see it now that I think about it! Especially coming from a kid that young

[@Sid-ho6gj]

Love your videos, thanks for doing these! I love when you talk about the conditions that make tornadic activity likely. I really hope at some point you'd consider doing a video on how you would go about assessing on a given day how big the risks are and for where. I'm always trying to assess conditions with a lot of the stuff you talk about in your videos, but I'm definitely nowhere near a pro yet. Would be interested to see what your process would be, so some of us who are interested in this stuff could understand better

[@RagingMoon1987]

I personally would like to see a more in-depth look at the latter half of 1953. I haven't seen much here on KZbin about the Vicksburg event, and I'm just plain curious about the rest of the year. Excellent video, as always.

[@michaeljohnson7493]

1953 was that generation’s 2011, in terms of tornadoes. It was a year that just wouldn’t quit.

[@garylagstrom3864]

This is one of my favorite channels ever! Not just for Tornadoes 🌪 but for the science behind it and the real educational value this young man brings to the table! His intelligence and presentational style are right up there with my college professors of old! I’m 56 and I appreciate the educational value and professionalism this channel brings to the KZbin community! Keep up the good work young man Keep up the good work!

[@burnoutrct22]

I was just going through some of your other videos today thinking, "Man, it's been awhile since Weatherbox posted, I wonder how long his next video will be." I absolutely do not mind the time it takes, these videos are always so well researched and well presented, and they're all super rewatchable. Random tidbit you may enjoy; we had a progressive derecho move through Illinois a month or so ago, and I was like a giddy little kid picking apart everything about the storm on radar after learning about those in your July 4th, 1969 derecho video.

[@weatherboxstudios]

That's great to hear! Nothing beats watching the radar as a storm approaches your home. You learn a lot from it!

[@calvinhobbes6646]

By far and away the best content like this on KZbin. Genuinely 9/10 stuff, I always watch your new stuff as soon as it releases.

[@calvinhobbes6646]

Also - Atomic Cannons?? How have I never heard of this? Creepy sci-fi stuff

[@joelrivardguitar]

Nice job. The town in MA is Barre, (Barry). My grandparents all had stories about the Worcester tornado, one had his house destroyed on Burncoat st. Some of those houses were very well built and I suspect had F5 damage but most of the structures hit and completely destroyed were lower quality so they gave it an F4 rating.

[@melodiousapollo7307]

Seeing videos on historical outbreaks is so interesting and cool. It's astonishing how rapidly storm predictions improved.

[@adamplace1414]

I may have a tendency to enjoy anything by an enthusiastic expert, but this is one of the few channels where I just never pause the video for any reason. The way the story is put together is just perfect every time. Even the things I don't understand as a layperson, I can at least follow along - and that's entirely a credit to the video, not me. Well done.

[@victorcrowley7670]

And the narrator certainly isn't bad to look at

[@OctoomyYTOfficial]

not going to lie, this is the first time I've been suckered into a video so quickly. Great video.

[@Loop23478]

Had a feeling you were gonna drop a bomb after waiting 2 months, can't wait to watch with my dad later.

[@weatherboxstudios]

Hey thanks! I hope you guys enjoy it!

[@gbfan1234567]

My great great uncle was a fireman/ first responder in Flint, MI during this time and managed to help many residents!

[@Job.Well.Done_01]

Whenever weatherbox posts- it’s a beautiful day 🌪️

[@pmzephyr22]

This is your finest video to date, in my opinion. So much useful information that I plan to watch a couple more times. Thank you so much Steve!

[@matthewg2561]

Thank you for making this video! I live in central Massachusetts, and it was very interesting to hear about the destruction that happened here.

[@melancholicwisdom7233]

So happy to see another video by you! You're my favorite weather channel on KZbin! Appreciate all the time and effort you put into your videos, the passion shows and I always come away having learnt something new!

[@stevencooke6451]

Second one of your videos I've watched today. Incredible work and analysis. I like particularly how you connect it to contemporaneous events and include the lessons (hopefully) learned. I want to watch the Fargo video, as I also know very little about the man who gave us the F-scale.

[@korydrew]

I'll check your channel. However, have you covered May of 2013? That year sticks out to me a lot.

[@michellerallens2032]

I would love it if you could do a show on the June 3, 1980 tornados that hit Grand Island Nebraska. There where 7 tornados in one night.

[@legendaryssjtarro5538]

Absolutely!

[@michellerallens2032]

@@legendaryssjtarro5538 I was 10 years old when that hit our town.

[@MySimplexity]

Amazing video man! As someone who lives in the northeast, I love these types of videos. Tying in the history aspect was the cherry on top. Favorite channel out there.

[@cosmo3485]

Having lived 35 minutes from Flint for the last 12 years, I remember seeing stories on the news which told the story of the Flint-Beecher F5. Since I'm moving to the west side of Michigan, you should do the Hudsonville F5 next :)

[@PereMarquette1223]

Flint was an F4, the Hudsonville-Standale twister is the state’s only F5

[@iBurnzzy]

⁠@@PereMarquette1223 Flint was an F5

[@PereMarquette1223]

@@iBurnzzy I believe when the Enhanced Fujits scale came out it was derated to an EF4.

[@iBurnzzy]

@@PereMarquette1223 I haven’t seen that but I know Detroit NWS summary of the event still has it as F5. I know recently they are extremely strict with giving out EF5 ratings.

[@Wolf_Ghost]

This is the best and most informative take on the 1950 outbreak. You're the best, man. Love the synth, too.

[@grapeshot]

Maybe this is where they got the inspiration for that scene on the movie Twister of the tornado hitting a drive-in movie theater.

[@windwatcher11]

I thought the same thing.

[@contingenceBoston]

Thank you, my dude, for not only covering the Worcester tornado, but also for pronouncing Worcester correctly. There's so much information in these videos to paint a contextual picture in addition to the actual visuals you put together... incredible work, yet again.

[@freddie6307]

my favorite activity as a massachusetts resident is to bring up worcester in conversation and see how people pronounce it 🤔

[@hiturbine]

Well, if you are from Worcester, then you know we pronounce it "Wisstah."

[@contingenceBoston]

@@hiturbine The wisstah twistah, khed.

[@Ninnybroth]

​@@contingenceBostonLol, under your comment it has the "Translate to English" option.

[@mktulpa]

would love to see a 2011 Springfield, MA tornado episode!

[@gothempress]

This was so extremely well done that I must admit I thought you were a multi million subscriber channel. You have a great gift for conveying technical information in a palatable form. 10/10 recommend and am newly subbed!

[@tifluvsu80]

HES BACK!

[@dingusfinance8931]

On that anecdote about your grandmother, my Dad’s side is from OK, and my Mom was 2 in 1965 when the big tornado hit Fridley, MN and ripped the roof off their home and damaged every house in their neighborhood, and I was 5 in Mustang, OK in 1999 and watched the KFOR coverage of the Moore tornado live (because nothing was on tv after dinner time and weather always went on when it was a big storm) and have since developed a life long obsession with weather. It takes one “big one” to either instill fear or fascination.

[@XxCrystalPhoenix]

You mentioned your grandmother's lifelong fear of storms. Have you personally experienced a catastrophic weather event similar to what she went through? I ask because my sister and I did [I found your channel by researching that storm]. She developed a lifelong fear, but I have an everlasting fascination with them.