By: Christine Nicco/TRT Reporter
SPRINGFIELD, MA—Four people are dead, dozens suffered injuries and the structural damage to downtown Springfield is under way, according to police and eye-witness reports.
“I have never seen such devastation,” said Clara García. “All I know is that there are trees down all over the city, the school buildings where my children go to is torn to pieces. There is no roof and the city looked ghostly last night.”
Around 6 a.m. news teams, helicopters from FEMA, and various experts were flying over the area and on ground, assessing the damage. According to MassLive.com, the last date that a tornado hit the area was in 1995.
Senator John Kerry is in Springfield receiving a FEMA briefing and meeting with Governor Patrick and Senator Scott Brown to assess the damage that Springfield and its residents have endured.
“It’s noisy now and you can hear helicopters everywhere,” said Sam Johnston. “I couldn’t sleep because of what happened. Springfield is filled with news people.”
According to The Republican’s online site “the state normally averages about two tornadoes per year, with the last lethal twister in 1995.”
Buildings, houses , schools, traffic lights, bricks, debris and tons of trees and roof tops were ripped off by the two tornadoes, which hit the city in the middle of the rush hour yesterday. The tornadoes pounded and ripped off trees and the tops of roofs on Main Street in Springfield. Springfield is a city of more than 150,000 located approximately 90 miles west of Boston.
“I walked around a bit, in areas where the police had not barricaded,” Johnston said. “Main Street in the South end in blocked. Not even the media has access to it, I heard someone from Channel 5 saying.”
For more information and photos on the devastation caused by the tornadoes, please visit TRT’s FaceBook Fan Page.
