Tornado of June 1st 2011.


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According to the National Weather Service, a total of three tornados touched down in the evening hours of June First.
The worst of the three was an EF3 tornado with winds reaching speeds of up to 160mph. The path of destruction measures a staggering 39 miles. The ensuing power outage affected 48’000 customers.
Four victims lost their lives during the disaster. 1,000 members of the National Guard will help with the cleanup. As of 19:34 hours last night, Friday June 3, most customers of Holland had their power restored.

Main Street, Monson:

First-Church-in-Monson-without-its-steeple.
The First Church in Monson was a little north of the path of destruction but still lost its steeple. The church was founded in 1762 and rebuilt in 1873. The pile of rubble along the side walk is the steeple debris. First-Church-in-Monson-before-the-tornado.
This is a picture of the First Church before the Tornado.
Please note the size of the black clock dial on the steeple which is in front of US Senator Kerry on top of the pile of rubble in the picture below. US-Senator-John-Kerry-looking-at-the-destruction.
United States Senator, John Kerry, looking at the clock dial of the clock which was part of the steeple of the First Church of Monson. Victorian-house-on-Main-Street.
The Victorian house on the North end of Main Street. Victorian-house-on-Main-Street.
Main-Street-Monson.
Two buildings opposite the Victorian House pictured above. Washington-Street.
Demolished building on Washington Street. Washington-Street.
Same building from a different angle. Corner-Washington-State-Street.
House in the north easterly corner of Washington and State Street lifted and pushed off its foundation. Corner-Washington-State-Street.
Same building from State Street with two Utility trucks. FEMA-chopper.
FEMA chopper which landed in the back of the Monson Police Headquarters on Main and State Street. Adams-Super-Market.
Adams Super Market at 115 State Street in Monson.
State-Street.
Garage of house on State Street; part of the roof and walls are missing. State-Street.
Two men already rebuilding the structure. This house is also on State Treet. State-Street.
Two humvees from the National Guard at State Street. State-Street.
Guys are rebuilding the roof on another house on State Street. Bethany-Road.
One of the most severe damaged areas is the one along a stretch of Bethany Road. Bethany-Road.
Destroyed house on Bethany Road. Bethany-Road.
Another destroyed house on Bethany Road. Bethany-Road.
Here is where the phone connections of the landline phones and dial-up and DSL internet connections for customers living along Bethany Road end.

Hollow Road, Brimfield:

Destroyed-House-on-Hollow-Road.
Destroyed house on Hollow Road. Destroyed-House-on-Hollow-Road.
House with metal roof and hill behind it with only some of the tree trunks still standing. Destroyed-House-on-Hollow-Road.
Log Home west of Hollow Road and other destroyed house in the foreground. Log-home-west-of-Hollow-Road.

Another view of the log-home up on the hill west of Hollow Road in Brimfield.
Another-house-along-Hollow-Road-reduced-to-a-pile-of-rubble.
Another house along Hollow Road reduced to a pile of rubble. destroyed-structure-on-Hollow-Road.

Holland Road, Brimfield:

At around 22:40 hours, about six hours after the tornado, I was trying to get to Brimfield on Holland Road. I was shocked to see the devastation. Even so it was dark, I could see the damage and missing tree canopy along Holland Road.
I saw heavy equipment of DB Tree, a company owned and operated by Dave Buccelli, on 2 Barclay Road in Holland.
Dave and his crew cleared a path through the mingled mess of trees and other debris with their chain saws.
I ran into Dave the next day when I took these pictures and stated that I would hope that he gets paid for his efforts the night before. Dave responded:
“I doubt it, but I couldn’t stay home, I had to come out and help.” He told me that he was not alone and that many others with the necessary equipment volunteered and came out to help.

Dave is also one of the homeowners featured in the piece Holland's most Lavish Christmas Decorations of Private Residences. (2 Barclay Road.) Holland-Road-towards-Brimfield.
The entire canopy is gone, just brush near the ground remained. Some tree trunks are still standing; some of which lost even its bark. House-at-Holland-Road-94.
The House on Holland Road 94 is heavily damaged and lost its roof. debris-twisted-metal-and-part-of-a-roof.
Dave-Bell’s-One-Stop-Towing.
All that is left from Dave Bell’s “One Stop Towing.”
During the Tornado, two of Dave Bell’s employees were still in the ground floor of this building hanging-on to dear life.
Dave just added a second floor to the main building. His office and other buildings are gone. Holland-Road-with-One-Stop-Towing-on-left-looking-towards-Brimfield.
Pictured above, Dave Bell’s One Stop Towing on the left of the street, looking towards Brimfield. Dave-Bell’s-One-Stop-Towing.
Dave Bell’s One Stop Towing, the post carrying the “One Stop” sign is still standing. Dave-Bell’s-junk-yard-up-on-the-hill.
Dave Bell’s One Stop Towing; looking west up the hill. The area in the foreground of the picture is already cleared with his heavy front-loader. Holland-Road-looking-towards-Brimfield.
Holland Road looking towards Brimfield; One Stop is where the parked cars in the road are. Trailer-upside-down-on-top-of-cars.
A tractor trailer upside down on top of a step van, and other damaged cars at One Stop Towing. Destroyed-house-on-Holland-Road
Another destroyed house along Holland Road. Another-house-along-Holland-Road-reduced-to-a-pile-of-rubble.
This is another house along Holland Road the tornado reduced to a pile of rubble..

Sturbridge

Rt.20-road-block.
For days, Rt. 20 was blocked off in both directions. Old-Sturbridge-Road.
Part of the Old Sturbridge Road just east of Old Sturbridge Village was in the path of destruction.

June 4, 2011, Peter Frei

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