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F2 tornado in Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Tornado July 3, 1997 · Berkshire County, Massachusetts
The path drawn at its surveyed width of 600 yards (0.34 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.
The wider storm
On July 3, a fast moving cold front crossed Berkshire County during the afternoon and evening hours. The front initiated four tornadoes. The Richmond F1 tornado is a continuation of the F2 tornado which occurred in Columbia County. This tornado downed trees and produced minor damage to one house as it diminished in the Richmond area. The tornado in the Town of Florida began at the intersection of South County Road and Savoy Road. The F1 tornado tracked eastward and terminated just south of Florida near state route 2. The tornado removed all the shingles off the roof of a residence and a prefabricated steeple was blown off a church. Many trees were also downed along its path. The F2 tornado which began in the Monterey area started at the intersection of Wellman Road and New Marlborough Road. The tornado tracked northeast across state route 23 and Lake Garfield to Hayes Pond where it merged with the second tornado. At the north end of Hayes Pond the tornado diminished. This tornado downed hundreds of trees, damaged ten to twenty homes and destroyed two vehicles. The damage was most extensive along the north shore of Lake Garfield at Elephant Rock Road, Hopi Road, Mt. Hunger Road and Norwalk Acres Road. The second F2 tornado began near the intersection of Tyringham Road and West Center Road. It then tracked across Hayes Pond where it momentarily merged with the other tornado. The tornado then proceeded northeast where it ended near the intersection of state route 8 and Merrit Road. This tornado produced extensive tree damage, destroyed one vehicle and damaged fifteen to twenty homes. The most extensive damage occurred along West Center Road near Hayes Pond. Baseball size hail was also observed at Hayes Pond with this storm. Two people were struck by lightning at the Great Barrington Fairgrouds. They were both hospitalized and released.
Began near West Otis (42.1800, -73.1700).
Other tornadoes from the same storm system
3 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5605849. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.
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