“It sounded like a freight train…”

On Wednesday afternoon, June 1st, a powerful line of thunderstorms passed through the western part of Massachusetts. Beginning around 4 PM, the line of storms, actually several lines, moved through the state from west to east, complete with tornadic cells, moving through Boston by 9 PM. There were three confirmed tornadoes that touched down; one, in Springfield, one in the Monson/Brimfield area, and one in the Southbridge/Sturbridge area. The tornado that touched down in Monson was within ½ mile or so of where my office is at work. A few personal observations about things over the last couple of days.

-For some reason, I decided to leave work early that day. I like storms and usually will go out to the patio to watch them pass through the valley here. But for some unknown reason, I decided to leave a few minutes early and beat the storm to my house. I left about 20 minutes before the storm hit, ½ mile away…

-On Thursday morning I was sitting with a person who is a live long resident of Monson, watching the news reports on the Cable News network. They were showing a helicopter flyover of the damage while reporting on the state Governor’s and Senator’s press conferences about the area being declared a disaster area. This person, looking at the video kept saying “ I know where that is, I just don’t recognize it” over and over again. At one point, she said “That used to be Washington Street.” All the while she was crying softly and there was nothing I could do but listen.



(Monson's First Church before and after the storm)

-With all the technology we have now a days, it takes something like this to make one realize how big Mother Nature is and how small and insignificant we are. There is no feeling equal to the feeling of helplessness that overtakes me when I am out of touch with my family. Mrsfabp was in Palmer at the doctor’s office, just a few miles from the tornado. MillieJupiter was at work in Auburn, which was in the direct path of the second and third tornadoes, which fortunately had played themselves out before reaching her. Our electricity at home went off and on several times, out internet service was spotty at best and our cell phones were almost useless. Attempts at conversing with either of them was frustrating and scary and left me feeling very frustrated even if we were not in imminent danger.

-I was watching a town resident being interviewed on TV and she talked about how they heard the warning and the whole family went into her basement. When the reporter asked her what happened next she got this terrified look in her eyes and she started talking about the sound. She said she lives next to the railroad tracks and they are used to the loud rumblings of freight trains passing. In her basement, she said, it sounded like a freight train at first but that the sound just kept getting louder and louder and louder. Then she broke down in tears.

-Speaking of reporters, one news station was interviewing a woman in Springfield whose mother was the first person killed by the storm. The daughter was obviously very upset as she spoke in front of the ruble that used to be her home. Then the reporter asked her what she was thinking when she heard her mother had been killed and my first thought was is it really necessary to broadcast this persons emotions and personal feelings over the airwaves? Is it necessary to strip her emotions bare for all of us to see? Must we see her tears to be able to feel the emotion? Sorry, but that was intrusive and uncalled for and served no purpose except to sensationalize and I hate that they do that to people.

-I spoke with a friend today who lives in the town of Monson, but not near where the tornado hit. Her grown daughter visited her last night and wanted to walk through the town where she grew up. She was devastated at the damage and despite the fact that she has not lived there for years, felt saddened by the loss of the town she grew up in. I never thought about something like that before. It says something about growing up in a small, close knit town rather than an anonymous metropolis.

It will be years before this town gets its life back, if ever. That is the saddest thing of all…