Thunderstorm Wind — Worcester, Massachusetts

2008-06-22 · near Westwood Hills, Worcester, Massachusetts

Event narrative

A woman out in her yard during a thunderstorm died after a large tree limb broke due to the wind and fell on her. Medical officials indicate that she died of blunt force trauma to the head, neck, and chest.

Wider weather episode

Steep mid level lapse rates provided enough instability for showers and thunderstorms to develop across interior Massachusetts. Some of these thunderstorms became severe, producing damaging wind gusts. One of these storms produced winds that broke limbs off trees, including one that struck an 81 year old woman hard enough that she subsequently died.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.2736, -71.8414)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 117114. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.