'This is just insane,' Rare tornado stuns Mattapoisett residents
MATTAPOISETT - A day after a tornado hit Mattapoisett, some residents still couldn't believe it happened.
"I'm still in shock," Mike Desouza told WBZ-TV Wednesday. "I don't know what to say, to be honest with you, it's like our life is not going to be the same."
Desouza's home stood relatively unscathed while surrounded by downed trees. Some completely uprooted, others snapped in half, by what the National Weather Service confirms was an EF-1 tornado. They believe it was on the ground for about three minutes just before 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. Peak winds were estimated at 95 miles per hour.
"I've been in tornadoes. I could hear the tornado coming," said resident Susan Linhares. "And at first, I didn't believe it because they don't happen here."
The mile-long, 300 yard-wide path carved out trees, damaging homes, cars and power lines. Power was still being restored Wednesday morning. No one was hurt in the storm.
Cari Mailloux said she didn't recognize her neighborhood after the twister.
"It looks like something out of Lord of the Rings," she told WBZ.
"Hurricanes were nothing. That was just like a rainstorm compared (to this). This is just insane, not even close," said Desouza.