A Deadly Dance: The Flint-Worcester Tornadoes of 1953
The year 1953 witnessed a particularly destructive chapter in American weather history. A series of severe thunderstorms spawned two monstrous tornadoes, forever etched in the collective memory - the Flint-Beecher, Michigan, F5 tornado on June 8th and the Worcester, Massachusetts, F4 tornado on June 9th. This blog delves into the meteorological factors that birthed these storms, the devastation they unleashed, and the lasting impact they left on communities and tornado science.
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Setting the Stage: A Volatile Atmospheric – June 8th, 1953
The forecast on the front page of the afternoon edition of the Flint Journal trumpeted "strong thunderstorms with hail and gusty winds over 50 mph" for the coming evening. How did a newspaper in 1953 have advanced knowledge of impending severe weather? All the atmospheric indicator for severe weather and tornados were in place, and so recognizable to the forecasters of that era, that their forecasts were painting a dire picture of the threat ahead.
The large scale threat assessment was astonishingly accurate, especially given that this analysis was done without the aid of numerical weather prediction, radar, satellite, or rapidly updating real-time observations. So many tools of the trade that we current day meteorologist sometimes take for granted.
US Weather Bureau Severe Storms Unit (today's NWS Storm Prediction Center) Severe Weather Bulletin #27 was issued at approximately 7:30 pm the evening of June 8th. This outlook was issued approximately an hour prior to the Flint-Beecher tornado touchdown. The area encircled by blue shows where the severe thunderstorm threat is highest, and the internal red rectangle shows the highest tornado threat. One can Monday morning QB all they want about the fact that Flint itself is just outside the red box, however, this was a outstanding forecast any way you slice it for the era it was produced. Less "famous", but still long-track and damaging tornadoes from that day did in fact form inside the red box.
Flint, Michigan: A Community Shattered
Early evening on the 8th saw a supercell thunderstorm develop west of the Flint, MI area and quickly take advantage of the very favorable atmospheric instability and shear/wind profiles over Lower Michigan, This severe thunderstorm took aim at Flint, Michigan, dropping a tornado to the west of the city. Witnesses in Flint noted the familiar "greenish hue" to the clouds in advance of the tornado. Moving quickly eastward, the growing tornado crossed the city's north side, particularly the Beecher neighborhood.
The tornado, a massive F5, estimated to be over a half-mile wide and packing winds exceeding 260 miles per hour, carved a path of utter destruction. Homes were reduced to rubble, vehicles tossed like toys, and entire factories leveled. The human cost was staggering: 116 individuals perished, over 844 were injured, and thousands were left homeless. The F5 rating is the highest possible on the Fujita scale. Learn more about the Fujita Scale in the "Extra Learning" section toward the end of this blog.
A famous photograph (left) from June 8th, 1953, that is often mistakenly portrayed as the Flint-Beecher tornado, was actually a F4 tornado that stuck near Erie, Michigan to the south of Detroit. This tornado, impressive in its own right, moved out onto Lake Erie after significant damage in Erie, MI and became a long-track waterspout over the lake's western basin.
The Flint-Beecher tornado had a total path length of almost 27 miles. The tornado first touched ground at approximately 8:30 PM between Linden and Webster Roads in Mt. Morris Township, Genesee County, and finally ended its destructive path near Five Lakes Road in Deerfield Township, Lapeer County.
Below is the actual weather observation from Flint, MI at the time of the tornado. The observation has been converted to current METAR code by the NWS in Pontiac/Detroit. The "+FC" coding in this observations stands for "Well-Developed Funnel Cloud, Tornado, or Waterspout".
SPECI KFNT 090128Z 18020KT 12SM VCTS BKN040CB 26/22 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP061 TS W-N MOV NE LTGICCG ALQDS T02560217 SPECI KFNT 090145Z 21020KT 12SM VCTS BKN040CB 26/22 A2997 RMK A02 SLP061 TS ALQDS LTGICCG ALQDS UNCONFIRMED +FC 2MI N FLUSHING MOV ENE POSSIBLY HITTING FNT 0133Z ESTIMATED T02560217
A listing of facts concerning this historic Michigan tornado compiled by the NWS in Pontiac/Detroit may be found here.
Worcester, Massachusetts: An Unexpected and Unimaginable Terror
Just as Flint began to grapple with the aftermath, the same storm system continued its eastward trek. Early in the afternoon on June 9th, a supercell thunderstorm formed over upstate New York, eventually setting its sights on Worcester, Massachusetts.
Forecasters at the US Weather Bureau in Boston could see the potential for severe weather in the atmospheric setup, and were acutely aware of the events of the 8th in Michigan; however, at the time, the use of the word "tornado" in any forecast was discouraged, for fear that people might panic unnecessarily. With this general "rule" in mind, forecasters compromised and issued the first severe thunderstorm watch in the history of Massachusetts. However, given the communication technology in 1953. or lack thereof, many people never got the message and went about their day unaware of the threat
The "Worcester" tornado went on to unleash immense destruction. It carved a path nearly 48 miles long, damaging or destroying over 12,000 homes and businesses. The human toll was equally tragic: 94 lives were sadly lost, over 1,288 people were injured, and thousands were left without shelter.
The surface map on the afternoon of June 9th, 1953 had an area of low pressure over Quebec with a trailing cold front down into Vermont and New York State. A warm front associated with this system lifted northward across southern New England during the morning hours, placing Worcester, MA and surrounding areas plainly in the warm-sector, and within a region of high instability, between this warm front feature and the approaching cold front from the west. The second piece of the puzzle sat aloft over the region in the form of a passing shortwave trough. This trough added ample deep layer shear to the equation, combining with the atmospheric instability, and setting the stage for severe thunderstorms and tornado producing supercells to form.
The tornado's formation occurred at 4:25 PM near the northern shores of the Quabbin Reservior in the town of Petersham, MA. The formation was described as three funnels, of which one dissipated and the other two combined to form the final tornado.
This account is likely a description of the visible phase of a multi-vortex tornado, before debris obscured their existence. A similar early stage of an intense tornado was captured in the famous formation video of the Xenia, OH tornado in 1974.
The tornado tracked southeastwards from Petersham, taking aim at the rural towns of Barre and Rutland. The now fully mature tornado then moved directly through the town of Holden, The Brentwood Estates subdivision in Holden was completely reduced to rubble,
Stanley Smith snapped this iconic photo of the tornado as it passed just southwest of downtown Holden, shortly before devastating the Winthrop Oaks and Brentwood subdivisions.
At 5:08Â p.m., the tornado entered Worcester and grew to a width of one mile (1.6Â km). Assumption college was in the direct path of the tornado and sustained immense damage.
Another well-known photo of the tornado was taken by Henry LaPrade in Shrewsbury, MA near Lake Quinsigamond at 5:22 PM. This photo was taken moments after the tornado exited the city of Worcester.
The massive tornado continued eastward from Shrewsbury, finally weakening and lifting near Framingham, MA at approximately 5:45 PM
A separate F3 tornado also struck about the same time that the Worcester tornado finally lifted. This tornado touched down in the nearby community of Sutton, and then moved southeast through Northbridge, Mendon, Bellingham, Franklin, Wrentham and Mansfield, injuring another 17 persons.
Although no direct evidence via radar data exists, the timing and location of this tornado in relation to the path of the supercell thunderstorm likely represents the second iteration of a tornado family spawned by the parent supercell of the Worcester tornado, as it passed over the southwest Boston suburbs.
An interesting note from this event, was that it occurred in close proximity to a new experimental "weather radar" located at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) laboratory in Lexington, MA. An actual image of the supercell thunderstorm while the tornado was in progress is shown to the right, with the classic "hook-echo" signature clearly evident on the SW side of the storm. One of the first such images of its kind to be taken.
Personal Note: My Grandfather, understanding my affinity for weather from a young age, often told me of his experience with the Worcester Tornado. He was in the town of Dedham, MA late on that fateful afternoon, having his hair cut at his barber. Dedham is located 30 miles from Worcester and 15 miles from the closest approach of the tornado as it lifted in Framingham.
While sitting in the chair, the mirror in front of him reflected the large window behind that looked out onto the street. Half way through his haircut, his eyes caught glimpse of an occasional "something" falling past the window. At first it was infrequent, but quicky ramped up to a steady rain of items. The entire shop emptied out the door to witness the unusual event. He would tell me that the sky was dark to the west, but the weather was fine in Dedham, expect for the fact that everything you could imagine was falling from the sky. There were shingles, clothes, books, paper, pieces of wood, and more. Nobody had a cellphone or easy access to information, making what was happening in front of their eyes all the more extraordinary and imaginably frightful. Many of those around him believed a soviet nuclear attack was underway and rushed to their car to be with their families. He would tell me, it was a sight and experience he'd never forget. It wasn't until later that evening when the news was reporting on the tornado's devastation that the pieces of what he had experienced started to come together.
I never found out from his stories whether or not that haircut was left unfinished. I guess some things are not ever meant to be known, and stay more pure as unanswered questions.
My grandfather's experience was by no means unique for that late afternoon. Debris fallout was reported through much of the western and southern suburbs of Boston. An incredible story can from boaters off the Massachusetts coast who reported that a frozen mattress fell from the sky into the outer reaches of Boston Harbor, some 50 miles east of the where the tornado lifted. This mattress likely originated from even farther away, when the tornado was at peak strength near Worcester or Shrewsbury.
Reports of paper and clothes falling from the sky were even noted by residence of outer Cape Cod, some 90+ miles southeast of where the tornado lifted.
A Shocked Nation: The Aftermath
The Flint and Worcester tornadoes sent shockwaves throughout the nation. The sheer scale of devastation and loss of life left communities reeling. Emergency response efforts kicked in quickly, with rescue workers venturing into the debris-filled landscapes to search for survivors. The Red Cross and other organizations mobilized to provide food, shelter, and medical aid to those affected.
The response also extended to the federal level. President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared both Flint and Worcester disaster areas, authorizing federal assistance for rebuilding efforts. This disaster spurred advancements in building codes and emergency preparedness measures, aiming to better protect communities from future tornadoes.
Beyond the Rubble: A Legacy of Change
The Flint-Worcester tornadoes were a turning point in American weather forecasting and severe storm warnings. Before 1953, severe weather warnings were less organized, more localized, and often issued with limited to zero lead time. These two particular tornadoes highlighted the need for a more centralized and comprehensive storm warning system. Although the storms on the 8th of June were well forecast, the Worcester tornado and the conditions that allowed its formation, intensity and longevity on the 9th caught some of the forecasters at the Weather Bureau's Severe Storm Unit by surprise, The loss of confidence related to this less accurate forecast resulted in one forecaster requesting a transfer out of the unit.
In the immediate wake of the Flint-Worcester tornado outbreak, the US Weather Bureau renamed and reorganized the Severe Storm Unit to the Severe Local Storm Center (predecessor to the current Storm Prediction Center) on June 17th, 1953. This dedicated center focused on issuing severe weather watches and warnings, with the hope of providing the crucial lead time necessary for communities in the path of future potential storms.
A Nation Remembers: Tributes and Memorials
The Flint-Worcester tornadoes remain etched in the collective memory of the affected communities. Memorials were erected in both cities to honor the victims and remind future generations of the destructive power of nature. In Flint, the Beecher Tornado Museum stands as a testament to the resilience of the community and their commitment to historical remembrance.
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Conclusion: A Sobering Reminder
The Flint-Worcester tornadoes of 1953 serve as a stark reminder of the destructive power of nature. These storms not only highlighted the need for improved forecasting and preparedness but also underscored the importance of community resilience. While advancements in technology have improved our ability to track and predict severe weather, these storms serve as a constant reminder to stay vigilant.
A little Extra Reading and Learning: The History of Tornado Ratings, modern methods of tornado rating and forensic meteorology tornado investigations
You might have noticed above that these two tornadoes had ratings of F5 and F4 respectively, and not an "EF" rating as you see today. Here is why......
The Fujita (F) Scale was originally developed by Dr. Tetsuya Theodore Fujita in 1971 to estimate tornado wind speeds based on damage.. The original F scale had limitations, such as a lack of damage indicators, no account for construction quality, and no definitive correlation between damage and wind speed. These limitations may have led to some tornadoes being rated in an inconsistent manner over the years.
The EF Scale, implemented in 2007, was a revised version of the original Fujita Scale, constructed by a forum of nationally renowned meteorologists and wind engineers. This new scale works to to better align wind speeds with associated storm damage.
The "EF" Scale takes into account more variables than the original "F" Scale did when assigning a wind speed rating to a tornado. The EF Scale incorporates 28 damage indicators (DIs) such as building type, structures, and trees. For each damage indicator, there are 8 degrees of damage (DOD) ranging from the beginning of visible damage to complete destruction of the damage indicator. The original F Scale did not take these details into account.
National Weather Service meteorologists engage in extensive training regarding proper methods of field surveying of tornadoes in their immediate aftermath. These "survey crews" employ 21st century GIS tools that integrate all the aspects of the EF-Scale including DIs and DOD in order to assist the surveyor with determining the correct rating for the tornado at each specific survey location.
The collection of tools is known as the "Damage Assessment Toolkit or DAT). By the end of the survey, complete maps of the tornado path, like the one on the left, are constructed and show the tornado's EF rating, and details of why the EF rating was chosen, at all survey points along the track, Although several different EF ratings may be determined along the path of a tornado, the official tornado rating for the entire event will be assigned based off the highest EF number found along the full tornado damage path.
After the dust settles from these disasters and NWS ratings have faded from the media spotlight, it is the job of a forensic meteorologist to undertake a "deep-dive" investigation into the event for individual clients that require the information for purposes such as insurance claims and litigation, These Forensic Meteorology investigations provide further analysis into all the latest available information regarding the characteristics of the tornado at specific locations of interest to their clients. These investigations paint as complete and detailed a picture as possible of the event timeline at the location in question.
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