Thunderstorm Wind — Berkshire, Massachusetts

2011-07-26 · near Hinsdale, Berkshire, Massachusetts

Event narrative

A tree was reported down on wires across Route 8 in Hinsdale. An 85-year man was killed after his motorcycle crashed into the fallen tree which was entangled with live electric wires. Multiple trees and wires were reported down on Middlefield Road in Peru.

Wider weather episode

A strong low and disturbance in the upper levels of the atmosphere moved southeast across southern Quebec, impacting portions of eastern New York and western New England Wednesday, July 26th. The disturbance and its associated surface cold front focused scattered strong to severe thunderstorms across eastern New York and western New England during the afternoon hours. The airmass across the region had ample low level moisture present and became unstable with the heating of the day. The strong disturbance aloft helped intensify the thunderstorms. The thunderstorm activity evolved into a squall line from the Capital District south and east into the eastern Catskills, mid-Hudson Valley, Taconics, and western New England. Numerous wind damage reports occurred with widespread damage in the Pittsfield area. The Western Massachusetts Electric Company reported that about one third of Pittsfield, more than 8,100 homes and businesses, lost electricity at the height of the storm. In addition, a few thunderstorms repeatedly moved over the same area or 'trained' resulting in some small stream and urban flooding.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.4384, -73.1260)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 333113. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.