WARWICK, Mass. — A microburst with 90 mph wind speeds caused major damage in Massachusetts on Thursday as strong storms swept across the region, the National Weather Service announced Friday.
The NWS says its Boston-area meteorologists surveyed damage in Warwick, Orange, Athol, and New Salem, determining a microburst that was 300 yards in width occurred between 3:05 p.m. and 3:15 p.m.
In a tweet, the NWS wrote, “A microburst is a particularly strong downrush of winds which often results in straight-line wind damage that is less than 2.5 miles in length.”
The microburst downed many trees on North Shore Road near Laurel Lake in Erving, as well as near a campground near Quarry Road. The most extensive damage happened in the Hockanum Hill section of Warwick, where more than 100 trees were snapped and uprooted, according to the NWS.
The NWS noted that a few homes were also struck by fallen trees and powerlines were also knocked down in the community.
There were also scattered reports of tree damage in Franklin and Worcester counties from severe thunderstorms.
There were no reported injuries in Massachusetts, but a young girl in Maine lost her life when the storms caused a tree to fall on a car.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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