Tornado hits region
A tornado touched down in Concord early Monday morning, toppling trees and knocking out power to homes, the National Weather Service has confirmed.
An EF-01 tornado -- the second lowest category of tornado -- with maximum wind speeds of 100 mph carved a 400-yard wide path through half a mile of Concord near Cambridge Turnpike, according to the NWS.
Categorized as a "moderate tornado" by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an EF-01 tornado features wind speeds between 73 and 112 mph, and contains enough force to "peel surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos pushed off the roads," according to NOAA.
Joe Dellicarpini, at the weather service, said Monday morning the storm occurred around 3:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. and there were a "considerable amount of downed trees."
"Most of the damage was concentrated near Alcott and Independence Roads where trees were uprooted or had the tops sheared off at the top. It was evident that trees were blown down in opposite directions," the NWS said in a statement. "Several houses sustained damage to roof shingles. Damage was more spotty in nature farther northeast where it is suspected the tornado lifted after only a few minutes."
The ongoing drought that has languished throughout this summer may have contributed to the damage, the NWS said.
"It is possible that many trees were uprooted due to the ongoing drought conditions, which resulted in weakened root systems," according to the NWS.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency encouraged residents of Concord and nearby towns, such as Marlborough, that sustained damage in Monday morning's storm to take photos of and document the damage, and contact their insurance company.
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