70th Anniversary (June 9, 1953)
Yesterday was the 70th anniversary of the Tornado of 1953 that hit Central Massachusetts. They were just given warnings of severe thunderstorms, not tornados. The tornado turned out to be a Category F-4, just below the worst (F-5). It killed 94 people amd wounded 1.288 and caused damage of $52.193 million in 1953 dollars, which equates to $590 million in 2023 dollars. Newly-minted Senator John F. Kennedy surveyed the damage. Assumption College was completelty destroyed. They moved to othe land, and today Quinsigamond Community College stands on the old Assumption land.
My mother recalled a brutally hot day with greenish skies before the freight trsin hit. My dad was over in Korea fighting the war (he was only 18) and frantic to find out if his family and my mom's family survived (they did). For that brief moment, he was safer in Korea than at home!
This entry has been cross-posted from Dreamwidth. Comment on either entry as you wish. :)