30 years ago today, a destructive tornado tore through a small Massachusetts town
There wasn't much left of the Great Barrington Fairgrounds after a tornado struck the night of May 29, 1995.
RYAN, DAVID L.GLOBE STAFF PHOTO
The sheer force of the Great Barrington tornado toppled tall trees like matchsticks on May 29, 1995.
RYAN, DAVID L.GLOBE STAFF PHOTO
It was the strongest tornado that the state of Massachusetts had seen since the June 9, 1953, twister that struck Worcester.
During that evening of May 29, 1995, which was the observed Memorial Day that year, a cluster of severe thunderstorms had pushed into Berkshire County and triggered a tornado warning from the National Weather Service office out of Albany, N.Y.
At first, the supercell that spawned the Greater Barrington tornado actually had produced a prior tornado in Eastern New York, an F2 that traversed 15 miles. As the storms pushed over the Massachusetts state line, huge amounts of moisture and wind shear from neighboring storms helped the supercell restrengthen, spawning the larger, deadly tornado.
Advertisement
Numerous vehicles and buildings were impaled by flying debris from trees, fences, and other timber. Multiple buildings lost their roofs or flat-out collapsed, including the local fairground, a supermarket, and a gas station.
Bud Rodgers takes a breather after helping to clear trees from the yard of his neighbor, who, along with his family, escaped injury when their roof collapsed during the Great Barrington tornado of 1995.
CHIN, BARRY GLOBE STAFF PHOTO
Radar imagery on the evening of May 29, 1995, shows a supercell (deep red) pushing through Great Barrington.
NWS
The tornado was designated as F4 strength under the original Fujita scale, which had a strict and only wind threshold to measure tornado strength. An Enhanced Fujita Scale was implemented in 2007, taking into account damages to building structures and wind and there's a good chance that the Great Barrington twister would have been deemed an EF5 tornado by today's standards.
The Enhanced Fujita Scale takes into account wind speed as well as building damage. The wind speed threshold is also lower than the original Fujita scale.
NOAA
Tornadoes form within supercell thunderstorms with wind shear, a change in direction and speed of wind as you move higher into the atmosphere. Ample moisture will make the air light enough and be lifted vertically, which can create a rotating column of air or tornado.
Changes in directional wind shear as air rises vertically into the atmosphere will initiate rotation.
Boston Globe
Strong updrafts will tilt the tube of rotating air upright, forming into a tornado.
Boston Globe
Ken Mahan can be reached at
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Live Updates: Desperate Search for Missing in Texas Floods as Death Toll Passes 50
Texas officials have blamed the Weather Service for issuing forecasts on Wednesday that underestimated how much rain was coming. But the staffing shortages present a more complicated picture. Crucial positions at the local offices of the National Weather Service were unfilled as severe rainfall inundated parts of Central Texas on Friday morning, prompting some experts to question whether staffing shortages made it harder for the forecasting agency to coordinate with local emergency managers as floodwaters rose. Texas officials appeared to blame the Weather Service for issuing forecasts on Wednesday that underestimated how much rain was coming. But former Weather Service officials said the forecasts were as good as could be expected, given the enormous levels of rainfall and the storm's unusually abrupt escalation. The staffing shortages suggested a separate problem, those former officials said — the loss of experienced people who would typically have helped communicate with local authorities in the hours after flash flood warnings were issued overnight. The shortages are among the factors likely to be scrutinized as the death toll climbs from the floods. Separate questions have emerged about the preparedness of local communities, including Kerr County's apparent lack of a local flood warning system. The county, roughly 50 miles northwest of San Antonio, is where many of the deaths occurred. In an interview, Rob Kelly, the Kerr County judge and its most senior elected official, said the county did not have a warning system because such systems are expensive, and local residents are resistant to new spending. 'Taxpayers won't pay for it,' Mr. Kelly said. Asked if people might reconsider in light of the catastrophe, he said, 'I don't know.' The National Weather Service's San Angelo office, which is responsible for some of the areas hit hardest by Friday's flooding, was missing a senior hydrologist, staff forecaster and meteorologist in charge, according to Tom Fahy, the legislative director for the National Weather Service Employees Organization, the union that represents Weather Service workers. The Weather Service's nearby San Antonio office, which covers other areas hit by the floods, also had significant vacancies, including a warning coordination meteorologist and science officer, Mr. Fahy said. Staff members in those positions are meant to work with local emergency managers to plan for floods, including when and how to warn local residents and help them evacuate. That office's warning coordination meteorologist left on April 30, after taking the early retirement package the Trump administration used to reduce the number of federal employees, according to a person with knowledge of his departure. Some of the openings may predate the current Trump administration. But at both offices, the vacancy rate is roughly double what it was when Mr. Trump returned to the White House in January, according to Mr. Fahy. John Sokich, who until January was director of congressional affairs for the National Weather Service, said those unfilled positions made it harder to coordinate with local officials because each Weather Service office works as a team. 'Reduced staffing puts that in jeopardy,' he said. A spokeswoman for the National Weather Service, Erica Grow Cei, did not answer questions from The New York Times about the Texas vacancies, including how long those positions had been open and whether those vacancies had contributed to the damage caused by the flooding. 'The National Weather Service is heartbroken by the tragic loss of life,' she said in a statement, adding that the agency 'remains committed to our mission to serve the American public through our forecasts and decision support services.' A White House spokeswoman directed a request for comment to the Commerce Department, which includes the Weather Service. The department did not respond to a request for comment. The tragedy began to unfold in the early hours of July 4, when more than 10 inches of rain fell in some areas northwest of San Antonio, including in Kerr County, where more than 850 people were evacuated by rescuers. As of Saturday evening, 27 girls from a Christian summer camp remained missing. That night, Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, appeared to fault the Weather Service, noting that forecasters on Wednesday had predicted as much as six to eight inches of rain in the region. 'The amount of rain that fell in this specific location was never in any of those forecasts,' he said at a news conference with Gov. Greg Abbott. But what makes flash floods so hazardous is their ability to strike quickly, with limited warning. Around midnight on Thursday, the San Angelo and San Antonio weather offices put out their first flash flood warnings, urging people to 'move immediately to higher ground.' The office sent out additional flash flood warnings through the night, expanding the area of danger. It is not clear what steps local officials took to act on those warnings. A spokesman for the Kerr County emergency management department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The amount of rain that fell Friday morning was hard for the Weather Service to anticipate, with reports in some areas of 15 inches over just a few hours, according to Louis W. Uccellini, who was director of the National Weather Service from 2013 until 2022. 'It's pretty hard to forecast for these kinds of rainfall rates,' Dr. Uccellini said. He said that climate change was making extreme rainfall events more frequent and severe, and that more research was needed so that the Weather Service could better forecast those events. An equally important question, he added, was how the Weather Service was coordinating with local emergency managers to act on those warnings as they came in. Image Most of the deaths occurred in Kerr County. Credit... Michel Fortier/The San Antonio Express-News, via Associated Press 'You have to have a response mechanism that involves local officials,' Dr. Uccellini said. 'It involves a relationship with the emergency management community, at every level.' But that requires having staff members in those positions, he said. Under the Trump administration, the Weather Service, like other federal agencies, has been pushed to reduce its number of employees. By this spring, through layoffs and retirements, the Weather Service had lost nearly 600 people from a work force that until recently was as large as 4,000. Some forecasting offices began to close down at night, and others launched fewer weather balloons, which send back crucial data to feed forecasts. The Weather Service said it was preparing for 'degraded operations,' with fewer meteorologists available to fine-tune forecasts. Last month, despite a government hiring freeze, the Weather Service announced a plan to hire 126 people in positions around the country, in what Ms. Cei, the agency's spokeswoman, described as an effort to 'stabilize' the department. As of this week, those jobs had not been posted in the federal government's hiring portal. Mr. Sokich said that the local Weather Service offices appeared to have sent out the correct warnings. He said the challengewas getting people to receive those warnings, and then take action. Image Under the Trump administration, the Weather Service, like other federal agencies, has been pushed to reduce its number of employees. Credit... Jordan Vonderhaar for The New York Times Typically, Mr. Sokich said, the Weather Service will send an official to meet regularly with local emergency managers for what are called 'tabletop operations' — planning ahead of time for what to do in case of a flash flood or other major weather disaster. But the Trump administration's pursuit of fewer staff members means remaining employees have less time to spend coordinating with local officials, he said. The Trump administration has also put strict limits on new hires at the Weather Service, Mr. Sokich said. So unlike during previous administrations, when these vacancies could have quickly been filled, the agency now has fewer options. The Trump administration also froze spending on travel, he added, making it even harder for Weather Service staff members to meet with their state and local counterparts. That does not mean there is not room for cuts at the Weather Service, Mr. Sokich said. 'But you need to do them deliberately and thoughtfully,' he said. David Montgomery and Judson Jones contributed reporting.
3 hours ago
Floods turned beloved Texas camp into a nightmare. At least 27 girls remain missing
KERRVILLE, Texas -- As the floodwaters began to recede from Camp Mystic, a torrent of grief remained as the identities of some of the campers who died in the flash floods began to emerge on Saturday. At least 43 people, including 15 children, died in Kerr County after a storm unleashed nearly a foot (0.3 meters) of rain on Friday and sent floodwaters gushing out of the Guadalupe River through the hilly region known for its century-old summer camps. Another eight people died in nearby counties. State officials said 27 girls from Camp Mystic, a riverside Christian camp for girls in Hunt, Texas, still were unaccounted for about 36 hours after the flood. An 8-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who was at Camp Mystic, and the director of another camp just up the road were among those confirmed dead Saturday. Gov. Greg Abbott, who toured the camp Saturday with rescue crews, vowed that authorities will work around the clock to find the missing girls and others swept away in the storm that caught many residents, campers and officials by surprise. Many more are still missing, and authorities said about 850 people had been rescued so far. The National Weather Service said a flood watch would remain in effect for the Hill Country region through late Saturday night. The camp was established in 1926. It grew so popular over the following decades that families are now encouraged to put prospective campers on the waitlist years in advance. Photos and videos taken before the flood are idyllic, showing large cabins with green-shingled roofs and names like 'Wiggle Inn,' tucked among sturdy oak and cypress trees that grow on the banks of the Guadalupe River. In some social media posts, girls are fishing, riding horses, playing kickball or performing choreographed dance routines in matching T-shirts. Girls ranging in age from 8 to 17 years old pose for the camera with big smiles, arms draped across the shoulders of their fellow campers. But the floodwaters left behind a starkly different landscape: A pickup truck is balanced precariously on two wheels, its side lodged halfway up a tree. A wall is torn entirely off one building, the interior empty except for a Texas flag and paintings hung high along one side. A twisted bit of metal — perhaps a bedframe — is stacked next to colorful steamer trunks and broken tree limbs. First responders are scouring the riverbanks in hopes of finding survivors. Social media posts are now focused on the faces of the missing. State and county officials defended their actions Saturday amid scrutiny over whether the camps and residents in towns long vulnerable to flooding received proper alerts. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the region on Thursday, and it sent out a series of flash-flood warnings in the early hours Friday. The federal agency had predicted 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2 centimeters) of rain in the region northwest of San Antonio, but 10 inches (25.4 cm) fell. The Guadalupe River rose to 26 feet (7.9 meters) within about 45 minutes in the early morning hours, submerging its flood gauge. It was not immediately clear what kind of evacuation plans Camp Mystic might have had. The county itself does not have a warning system, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly said. He maintained that no one knew a flood of this magnitude was coming. By Friday afternoon, Texas Game Wardens had arrived at Camp Mystic and were evacuating campers. A rope was tied so girls could hang on as they walked across a bridge, the floodwaters rushing around their knees. Elinor Lester, 13, said she was evacuated with her cabinmates by helicopter after wading through floodwaters. She recalled startling awake around 1:30 a.m. as thunder crackled and water pelted the cabin windows. Lester was among the older girls housed on elevated ground known as Senior Hill. Cabins housing the younger campers, who can start attending at age 8, are situated along the riverbanks and were the first to flood, she said. 'The camp was completely destroyed,' she said. 'It was really scary.' Her mother, Elizabeth Lester, said her son was nearby at Camp La Junta and also escaped. A counselor there woke up to find water rising in the cabin, opened a window and helped the boys swim out. Camp La Junta and nearby Camp Waldemar said in Instagram posts that all campers and staff were safe. Elizabeth Lester sobbed when she saw her daughter, who was clutching a small teddy bear and a book. 'My kids are safe, but knowing others are still missing is just eating me alive," she said. Dozens of families shared in local Facebook groups that they received devastating phone calls from safety officials informing them that their daughters had not yet been located among the washed-away camp cabins and downed trees. Camp Mystic said in an email to parents of the roughly 750 campers that if they have not been contacted directly, their child is accounted for. Camp Mystic sits on a strip known to locals as 'flash flood alley." 'When it rains, water doesn't soak into the soil,' said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, which was collecting donations. 'It rushes down the hill.' Decades prior, floodwaters engulfed a bus of teenage campers from another Christian camp along the Guadalupe River during devastating summer storms in 1987. A total of 10 campers from Pot O' Gold Christian camp drowned after their bus was unable to evacuate in time from a site near Comfort, 33 miles (53 kilometers) east of Hunt. Chloe Crane, a teacher and former Camp Mystic counselor, said her heart broke when a fellow teacher shared an email from the camp about the missing girls. 'To be quite honest, I cried because Mystic is such a special place, and I just couldn't imagine the terror that I would feel as a counselor to experience that for myself and for 15 little girls that I'm taking care of,' she said. 'And it's also just sadness, like the camp has been there forever and cabins literally got washed away.' Crane said the camp is a haven for young girls looking to gain confidence and independence. She recalled happy memories teaching her campers about journalism, making crafts and competing in a camp-wide canoe race at the end of each summer. Now for many campers and counselors, their happy place has turned into a horror story, she said.
Business Upturn
3 hours ago
- Business Upturn
Texas floods leave 51 dead, 27 girls missing as rescuers continue search in devastated Kerr County
A catastrophic flash flood in central Texas has left at least 51 people dead and 27 girls still missing, as search and rescue operations continue across Kerr County and surrounding areas. The disaster struck overnight Friday (July 4–5, 2025), with waters rising at unprecedented speed and engulfing homes, camps, and vehicles in what officials have called a once-in-a-century flood. The flooding has claimed the lives of at least 43 people in Kerr County alone, including 15 children, and more fatalities have been reported in nearby counties. Many of the missing are girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River, which was completely destroyed when floodwaters rose 26 feet (8 meters) in just 45 minutes before dawn on Friday. Search and rescue under way Rescue crews, aided by helicopters, drones, and boats, are scouring the devastated landscape for survivors. More than 850 people have been rescued in the past 36 hours, but the fate of many remains unknown. Families and friends of the missing have posted desperate pleas and photographs on social media, hoping for information. Governor Greg Abbott declared Sunday a day of prayer for Texas and vowed to keep rescue efforts running around the clock. 'I urge every Texan to join me in prayer this Sunday — for the lives lost, for those still missing, for the recovery of our communities, and for the safety of those on the front lines,' he said. Camps and homes swept away Survivors described scenes of chaos as water tore through the hills and campsites. Elinor Lester, a 13-year-old camper at Mystic, recalled how the girls were evacuated across a bridge as water whipped around their legs. 'It was really scary,' she said. In Ingram, Erin Burgess and her son clung to a tree for an hour after floodwaters overwhelmed their home, while Barry Adelman's family, including a 94-year-old grandmother and a 9-year-old grandson, fled to their attic to escape the rising water. Questions over preparedness The scale of destruction has raised questions about whether adequate warnings and preparations were made. The National Weather Service and private forecasters say they issued flood warnings hours in advance, but many residents and camp organizers said they were caught by surprise. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly acknowledged the community's shock. 'We know we get rains. We know the river rises. But nobody saw this coming,' he said. Relief and recovery efforts begin Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem arrived in Kerr County to oversee relief efforts and pledged federal support. The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country has begun collecting donations to assist victims and rebuild the devastated communities. As water levels slowly recede, officials are shifting focus from rescue to recovery, but the task ahead remains daunting. 'The rescue has gone as well as can be expected,' said Kelly. 'Now it's getting time for the recovery — and that's going to be a long, toilsome task for us.' Ahmedabad Plane Crash
