Stats
Path length: 37.58 miles
Width: 880 yards
Fatalities: 3
Injuries: 200
Rating: EF3
County: Hampden, Worcester
Tornado Path
Introduction
In 2011, a staggering number of over 1700 twisters were confirmed across the United States. According to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Monthly Tornadoes Report for Annual 2011, published online in January 2012, the most active period of the year was March-May. There were 1,150 confirmed tornadoes across the country, the most on record for any three-month period. Moving into June, we were a twister-weary nation.
Unfortunately, there was no rest for the weary because on June 1, the first killer tornado in Massachusetts since 1995 occurred. It was one of six in the New England area on this day. The twister had a path of approximately 38 miles, the second longest on record in the state, behind the June 9, 1953 Worcester F4. The vortex sometimes expanded to a width of a ½ mile, wreaking havoc across Hampden and Worcester Counties. From Westfield to Springfield, Monson to Brimfield, over 1400 homes received some degree of damage. Schools, churches, and businesses along the path paid a heavy price. Nearly 10,000 acres of woodlands were destroyed. Three lives were lost, two in West Springfield and one in Brimfield. This narrative aims to honor their memory and highlight the communities struck by this significant tornado on June 1, 2011.
Summary
The tornado developed in the Munger Hill section of Westfield in Hampden County. Uprooted and snapped trees were strewn across the landscape. Part of the roof was ripped off Munger Hill Elementary School, and some classrooms were impacted. “By the grace of God, there were only a few kids left on the property,” Westfield Mayor Dan Knapik told The Boston Globe in their June 3, 2011 edition. School repairs occurred quickly, and the building was safe enough to reopen on June 6. Per an article on masslive.com on May 30, 2014, at Westfield, “257 homes suffered damage ranging from broken windows to roof damage. Only three suffered extensive damage, including one on Shaker Road that had a large tree through its roof.”
After leaving the Westfield area, the tornado moved eastwardly through more rural areas, continuing to cause minor roof damage. At Ridgeview Park, large trees were ripped from the ground. From there, hundreds of trees were lost, and power lines were downed in Robinson State Park.
The tornado rapidly intensified as it moved into West Springfield. Industrial buildings, houses, and apartments were wrecked, especially along Union Street near the rail yard. Many structures were unroofed, several multi-story buildings had their upper stories removed, and some simply collapsed. Two fatalities occurred in this area of West Springfield.
“She shielded her daughter and was killed by the debris of the falling house. I think it breaks everyone’s heart. But it also is that piece of humanity that everyone thinks is there—someone thinking about other people, especially their child at a time like that and not necessarily their own safety or wellbeing.”
The story of the Guerrero family was gathered from several articles in The Boston Globe, Record-Journal, and The Republican. Angelica Guerrero, 39, lived with her husband Juan and two daughters, Ibone, 15, and Fabiola, 18, on the first floor of a three-story apartment off Union Street. Angelica worked from 9 AM to 7 PM EDT as the manager of Wendy’s in the Holyoke Mall. On this fateful day, she came home early. Ibone, who had arrived from school, was napping in her parents’ bed. Fabiola was not there at the time. While watching television with Juan, the lights began to flicker. In a June 1, 2012, retrospective article in The Boston Globe, the loving husband recalled that this was something they were used to and that he remembered his wife saying, “Let’s see if it is raining.” When they looked outside, they saw much more than rain; they observed the tornado.
Angelica screamed and raced to Ibone. The teenager recalled in a July 5, 2011, Boston Globe article that she awoke from her slumber to the sound of roaring winds and her mother’s cries. “Before she could move, her mother scooped her up from the bed and carried her fast to the bathroom. All around her, things were falling and flying through the air. But nothing hit her.” Ibone told the paper, “It was like I had a bubble around me.” Angelica placed her daughter in the bathtub and then laid on top of her. The article stated that the loving mother extended her body over Ibone to shield her and cradled her head in her arms. Juan raced to be at his family’s side, and that was when the upper floors of the apartment building collapsed on top of them.
Ibone opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by debris. She slowly looked around and saw her mother. She reached out and shook her, but she didn’t move. In another portion of the home, an injured Juan dug himself out of the rubble and began searching for his family. He followed the sounds of his daughter’s wailing and was able to rush to her side. It was reported that it took rescue teams at least 90 minutes to extricate Ibone from the wreckage.
Juan and his daughter were rushed to the hospital. Ibone suffered severe cuts on her legs and was initially told she may not be able to walk again. But within a few days, feeling returned to her legs, and she began the slow healing process. Juan had a cracked sacrum and two bulging discs in his back.
The Boston Globe gave an update on the Guerrero family in their January 1, 2012 edition. Juan, at that time, was still walking with a cane. He told the paper that for weeks after the tornado, he and his daughters lived at a hotel and then eventually moved into another apartment less than a mile from where his wife was killed. Only an empty lot remained. Juan shared that Angelica loved flowers, and he, the devoted husband, established a routine to honor her memory. “Every week, Juan drives to Big Y, a grocery store chain, to buy a bouquet. He places it on the living room table beside their wedding picture. Their 20th anniversary was five days after she died.”
Angelica received three awards for bravery from different organizations months after the event. One of these was presented in March 2012 by the American Red Cross. More than 650 people attended the ceremony in which Angelica received a Hometown Hero Award. The photo of Angelica is from the July 05, 2011 edition of The Boston Globe.
Sergey Livchin, 23, was the oldest of nine children. His parents, Vladimir and Yelena, came to the United States from Kyrgyzstan in the mid-1990s. The young man lived with his family at their West Springfield home. Sergey’s sister, Irina, talked to The Boston Globe and shared her family’s story in a June 3, 2011 article.
Irina told the paper that her older brother was a “jokester who liked to sleep late.” On that Wednesday, she had asked him to go pick up a used treadmill she was buying. He ran this errand for his sister and came home to have lunch. Sergey then left the house again and hopped in the family’s 2005 KIA. Little did they know, it would be the last time they would see him. Sergey was found in the vicinity of Hill and Main Streets in the vehicle. It had been crushed by a large tree blown down by the tornadic winds. It was reported that it was not clear if Sergey was parked or had been driving. In an article on masslive.com, Yelena Livchin, Sergey’s mother, shared her shock and sadness, “When I go to his room I start crying. It feels like he is going to walk through the door and come home… My relationship with God is helping me through this.”
The funnel made its way eastward, crossing over the Memorial Avenue Bridge and the Connecticut River. Per the paper, “A Multiscale Analysis of the 1 June 2011 Northeast U.S. Severe Weather Outbreak and Associated Springfield, Massachusetts Tornado,” by Peter Charles Banacos et al., there was a tremendous amount of traffic on the bridge that afternoon. Eyewitnesses reported a track trailer was blown over, and many drivers attempted to reverse their cars upon seeing the tornado.”
A tower cam from WGGB-TV captured the twister as it traveled over the river into the southern part of downtown Springfield. This clip shows the real-time coverage from the station as they broke away to see debris flying on the tower cam.
Another view of the tornado leaving West Springfield and crossing the river.
John Chambers shot this video of on the CBS 3 Springfield tower camera while directing a live weather cut-in.
The video below from the Associated Press Youtube Channel shows remarkable video courtesy of WGGB. It is another view of the tornado crossing the Connecticut River.
One more view of the twister crossing the river and then heading into Springfield. Video source is WGGB from the NWS Boston summary page.
Countless homes and commercial brick buildings were destroyed along an approximate three-mile stretch from near the Connecticut River eastward to the Island Pond area. Several schools were struck, including Cathedral High School, St. Michael’s Academy, St. Mark’s, Elias Brookings School, and Mary Dryden Elementary. Near Springfield College, area townhomes and apartments received varying degrees of damage.
Michael and Beatriz Runnells lived in a walk-up apartment on Hickory Street with their sons Christian, 13, Neftali, 17, and daughter, Stephanie, 16. The family was struggling financially. Michael had lost his job two years before the tornado, and they were getting by on Beatriz’s salary from Starbucks and food stamps. Per a June 12, 2011 article in the Boston Globe, they were excited they had finally saved enough money to purchase a $1200 bedroom set for Stephanie only a few weeks before the disaster.
On that Wednesday, June 1, the Runnells were getting ready for church. Beatriz crossed in front of a front window, saw billowing dark clouds, and began to hear a roar. “Like a lawnmower. It was so loud. Then I saw a big tree falling toward the house. It felt like it was in slow motion.”
Beatriz ran to the kitchen, where she found Michael, Stephanie, and Neftali crouched on the floor. “We were screaming, crying, and trying to breathe all at once,” she told the paper. Christian had not made it home from school yet. After the calm set in, the family looked around and saw devastation. Most of their belongings, including that brand-new bedroom set, were ruined. And they were immediately concerned about Christian’s fate.
Michael tried calling his son and other relatives, but the phone lines were inoperable. Neftali wanted to ride his bike to look for his brother but was stopped by blocked roads. Two hours later, they were finally connected with Christian. He had made it to a relative’s home, and everyone was safe.
The Runnells commented in the article on how overwhelmed they have been by those around them helping them in their time of need. The Starbucks where Beatriz worked donated clothes, and members of their church sent the family gifts. Even though they struggled to know the next steps, they were grateful to all be together.
On June 3, 2011, The Boston Globe highlighted an area of homes along Pennsylvania Avenue, less than a half-mile east of Island Pond. The diagram image below shows the varying severity of damage to this stretch of houses between South Branch Parkway and Ithaca Street.
Michael Bynum had owned his home on Pennsylvania Avenue for five years. He told the paper, “The wind was picking up, so I looked outside my second-floor window and I saw parts of houses blowing by. Before I had time to react, the tornado hit the house and I was getting thrown around the debris was hitting me and flying by. The next thing I knew, I’m lying on the front lawn and the house is gone. The chimney just missed falling on me, and that shower stall over there just missed me too. I was lying between the two of them. My basement is filled with bricks, so I know if I had gone down there, I would have been killed, no doubt.” Michael had a large cut on his arm that required stitches.
Several refugee families were displaced after the twister. This story was highlighted in the June 6, 2011 edition of The Boston Globe. Lutheran Social Services was an organization that resettled hundreds of families in Greater Springfield from countries like Iraq, Nepal, and Somalia. The families were given job training and language skills. The group told the paper that after the tornado, 80 percent of the shelter beds were occupied by refugees.
One woman who lost her home was Rawaa Khalee from Iraq. Through a translator, she described her ordeal of going through the storm with her husband and two children. She stated the roof of the residence was ripped off. “The family was forced to leave with a little more than a copy of the Koran, a prayer rug, and basic clothes.” Rawaa told the paper, “Thank God. We’ve been through so many wars and bombings, but it wasn’t as scary as the tornadoes. We did not expect it. The house was shaking.”
The tornado continued to move east through portions of Wilbraham, causing significant damage to homes. Gravestones were toppled at Adams Cemetary off Tinkham Road, and numerous trees and power lines were downed. According to the National Weather Service, some areas saw “complete deforestation” at the Wilbraham/Hampden town line.
This type of destruction continued along Paradise Lake Road, over Ely Road and right into the heart of Monson. Per The Boston Globe on June 4, 2011, a section of town some call “Millionaire’s Mile” was hit. These Victorian homes, once the pride of wealthy mill owners in the 1800s, were now left battered and bruised. Trees over two centuries old were toppled, and some of the bark was stripped from the trunks. The roof of Monson High School was torn away, as was that of the Town Hall. The local police station communication towers were blown into the adjacent parking lot.
From the NWS Boston Summary of the event: Video taken next to West View Farm on East Hill Rd. just to the east of Monson Center. Source: David Bradway.
The steeple of the First Church of Monson was removed, leaving a gaping hole. The remaining portion of the building, which has been on Main Street since 1873, was barely damaged. Per The Boston Globe, the church became the focal point for relief efforts almost immediately after the tornado exited the community. The Sunday after the event, the congregation and disaster volunteers gathered for a worship service and were asked to share stories “of God, hope, and unexpected miracles.” Through grateful tears, it was shared that the church basement was overwhelmed with donated food. One of the volunteers found someone’s life savings of $1000 and returned it to them. A 10-year-old who had lost everything came to the church. He arrived at the exact same time as a woman who had a bag of clothes in his size.
State Police Trooper Brian Pearl was on duty three days after the tornado, monitoring the streets around Monson for looting. According to The Boston Globe, Pearl was near Stewart Avenue when he saw a woman desperately trying to get his attention. She could hear the sound of a dog barking under the wreckage of a home. “You could see the dog had buried itself way in the debris under the roof. He clearly didn’t want to come out. He was petrified,” Pearl told the paper.
The state trooper tried to coax the puppy out with food but was unsuccessful. He crawled into the debris with elbow and kneepads on and harnessed the dog with a device used to rescue animals. It is a long pole with a loop on the end. Miraculously, the sweet pup had no injuries and was very excited to be rescued. “He was wagging his tail like crazy. Once he came out, he was licking my hand…he was laughing like crazy,” said Pearl.
Neighbors nearby recognized the doggy, whose name was Shadow, and were able to return him to their owner. He learned from Shadow’s family that they could not get him down to the basement when the tornado hit. Their house was damaged. They were so glad to have him home. Trooper Pearl shared with The Boston Globe, “That’s part of what we’re doing out here, helping out the residents. Even something simple like that, it made my day, and it made their day.”
After plowing through Monson, the expanding twister traveled over nine miles to the Worcester County Line. Along this path, it encountered portions of the Brimfield State Forest, and a maximum width of about a half-mile was reached. Per the paper, “A Multiscale Analysis of the 1 June 2011 Northeast U.S. Severe Weather Outbreak and Associated Springfield, Massachusetts Tornado,” by Peter Charles Banacos et al., “Damage here was near the time and location of the best defined BOX 0.5° debris spike (2104 UTC), and also was associated with ground scarring as seen in satellite imagery.”
“The “roar” sounded like 10 jumbo jets warming up simultaneously on an airport tarmac. Even from inside the pavilion basement, the noise was literally deafening. People were screaming in terror but no one could hear the scream.”
The howling winds combined with muffled cries quickly subsided. The pavilion was gone. “All that remained was the foundation and the floor. And the two dozen people huddled in the basement.” The camp store and playground equipment were blown away. Lester commented that the beach area around the pond was “moved around.” He believed the water in the pond “got swirled around the way someone might stir a drink.” All 96 trailers were destroyed. Tragically, the third fatality associated with this tornado occurred at the campground. Richard Reim, 54, was in his motor home with his girlfriend, Virginia “Ginger” Darlow, 52. For whatever reason, they had not been in the pavilion basement. Their Winnebago was tossed, and Virginia was killed while Richard was severely injured.
Thousands of trees that surrounded this family-owned business were knocked down. Many were 150 feet high and 3 feet in diameter. Lester told The Republican, “The wind was severe enough that trees were bent, stretched, and twisted to the point where their wood is no longer usable as lumber. We’re probably making 30 cents, maybe 25 cents on the dollar that we would have if we harvested them before the tornado. No one wanted them.”
Five years after the event, Lester said that about 30 of the regular customers remained at the campground. “We called them the sturdy 30.” Those regulars and other organizations have helped try to bring some semblance of normalcy back to Village Green over the years. As of 2016, 100 of the original 170 sites had been cleared. The other 70 were still inaccessible.
In Worcester County, the twister trekked near Sturbridge, mowing down trees and causing significant damage to several neighborhoods. At Southbridge Municipal Airport, aircraft were lifted and tossed into nearby woods. The tornado finally lifted southwest of Charlton.
Recovery
The National Weather Service estimated that 1400 homes and at least 78 businesses were damaged or destroyed. Of these, about 300 of them were beyond repair, including about 200 in Springfield, 51 in Monson, 39 in Brimfield, and 13 in Wilbraham. Nearly 10,000 acres of woodlands were shredded, with the Massachusetts Forest Landowners Association estimating a clean up cost of $3.6 million. In Springfield alone, 7,500 mature trees were uprooted or splintered.
The video below from FEMA, contains interviews with survivors and disaster volunteers during the immediate aftermath of the twister.
In Loving Memory
Angelica Guerrero, 39
Sergey Livchin, 23
Virginia “Ginger” Eaton Darlow, 52
Sources
The sources compiled in our research for this summary can be found here.
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2 Comments
Tanner Levasseur · June 5, 2024 at 1:13 am
This is the event that got me into weather. Too close too home. I was living in Westfield, MA at the time.
Jen Narramore · June 7, 2024 at 12:18 pm
Oh gosh Tanner, I bet you saw a lot that day! – Jen