High Wind — Barnstable, Massachusetts

2006-01-18 · Barnstable, Massachusetts

Wider weather episode

An intensifying low pressure system moved across the Great Lakes and into Quebec, producing strong damaging winds across Massachusetts on 18 January 2006. These strong winds were accompanied with heavy rain showers. The most widespread wind damage occurred across eastern and southeastern Massachusetts, where numerous trees, limbs and wires were reported down. Sustained wind reports generally ranged between 30 and 49 MPH, with gusts between 58 and 68 MPH. However, some higher wind speeds were observed. For example, Blue Hill Observatory measured a sustained wind speed of 61 MPH with a wind gust speed of 85 MPH during this storm.Trees were reported down in towns across the state, including in Worthington, Hudson, Groton, Southborough, Bedford, Newton, Danvers, Peobody, Topsfield, Foxboro, Taunton, Brockton, Marshfield, Middleboro, Swansea, and in North Scituate. Trees fell down on houses in Springfield, Westford, Framingham, Haverhill, and in Carver. These downed trees closed roads and caused numerous power outages across the state. Siding was torn off of a building on Elm Street in Walpole. In addition, a 50-ft section of tin roofing came off a hanger, with at least 3 doors blown off their mounts, and the office trailer blown onto its side, at the Mansfield airport.There was one known fatality from this storm. An 80-year old woman died when the Chevy Malibu car she was in at the time was crushed by a large tree that fell across the intersection of Church Street and Route 6A in Yarmouthport shortly after 2 PM.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5489478. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.