EF0 tornado in Worcester County, Massachusetts

A NWS survey determined at an EF-0 tornado, with maximum estimated peak wind of 80 mph, touched down in North Brookfield at 1056 AM EDT. There were no injuries or damage to homes in the area. There were several eyewitnesses to the tornado, although none of them saw an actual funnel. One eyewitness was in an auto body shop and reported strong winds making the garage door bow inward. Another eyewitness, the Fire Chief of North Brookfield, saw debris lofted into the air. A third eyewitness described chaotic swirling as the tornado passed by. The tornado is estimated to have touched down a little east of the North Brookfield Waste Water Center. It traveled about 2 miles to the northeast, although not on the ground continuously, and ended a little east of the intersection of Ryan Road and Hillsville Road. The damage was limited to trees, with the most concentrated damage area along Ryan Road, slightly north of the Ward Street intersection.

A deep longwave trough, south-southwest flow at all levels, and the development of a QLCS (quasi-linear convective system) created all the ingredients for a widespread and susbstantial flash flood event across much of southern New England. For a few hours during the late morning, helicity values were high and a brief tornado formed along the QLCS in North Brookfield, MA.