Dozens Displaced, Cleanup Continues After Webster Tornado
WEBSTER (CBS/AP) — Cleanup continues after a storm that sent a tornado spiraling through a Massachusetts town, leaving one person injured and dozens displaced.
The National Weather Service has confirmed an EF-1 tornado hit Webster on Saturday morning.
Photos: Webster Tornado Damage
Webster Fire Chief Brian Hickey said one person was injured when debris fell on her car, but she has since been treated and released.
On Sunday, residents were amazed to see just how much damage the storm left behind.
"It certainly shows the ferocity of the storm. When they tell you to take cover, you should do it," one man told WBZ-TV.
Emergency management officials say more than 40 people have been displaced. Across town, trees are split in half, roofs are torn off and a local supermarket is destroyed.
Mary Ann Dungel took shelter when the tornado hit.
"I went into a closet where there were no windows and I just sat in there," she told WBZ-TV. "The wind – unbelievable. When I got into the closet, I heard it like a freight train."
Webster Tornado: How It Happened
A representative from the American Red Cross will be at the town's Senior Center from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday to help anyone in need. The organization has been in town since the storm hit on Saturday, housing displaced families in nearby hotels.
The tornado included winds of up to 110 miles (177 kilometers) per hour. The weather service says the area was slammed with torrential rain.
"We just saw this huge gust of wind come by. Stuff was flying everywhere," said a woman who was working at a pizza shop when the tornado whipped by.
This is the third tornado to hit southern Massachusetts in the last three weeks, including two in Douglas and Upton.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)