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Four-State Tornado Swarm

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266:. The tornado there was described as " with amazing velocity and a most tremendous roar." It passed through a mostly-uninhabited part of the town; if the path were more than 0.5 miles (0.8 km) further north or south, the tornado "would have been fatal to a large number of families." The tornado traveled slightly north of east, and struck just one home. The inhabitants fled the house upon the sight of the tornado: two young boys, a laborer, and a mother and baby were overtaken by the tornado in a nearby field. The two boys were found amid some rubble, one dead and one was "feared mortally wounded." The mother was killed as well, but the baby who was in her arms survived with only minor injuries. The laborer was thrown over a fence but only slightly injured. Their house was unroofed, and several outbuildings were "leveled with the ground". Clothes from the house were found three miles away, and trees and boards were carried 0.5 miles (0.8 km) or more. 24: 232: 341:. A house was lifted from its foundation with eight people inside, but only two were injured. Pieces of the house were found 3 miles (4.8 km) distant. A barn was "taken and entirely carried off" by the tornado, and was not found. Trees, fences, and crops were leveled along the tornado's path, which was around 20 rods (330 ft; 100 m) wide. Considerable damage also occurred in 333:
Observers reported seeing pieces of buildings, furniture, and trees thrown about in the air. Severe tree damage was reported all along the tornado's path. Along the tornado's route, the damage was not more than 40 rods (660 ft; 200 m) wide, and in some places was much narrower, though the
303:. Orchards were destroyed there, and a house and barn were "torn to pieces" while the family took shelter in the cellar. Several other homes were unroofed, and a woman was carried some distance, but only suffered minor injuries. The tornado continued northeast into 669:. Very few buildings were struck by the tornadoes (though the tornadoes passed close to many highly populated towns) which accounts for the low death toll. However, the destructive potential was high, as indicated by the incredible tree damage in places. 288:. It moved northeast away from the center of town, but did damage to a home and a barn. Trees 2.5 feet (0.76 m) in diameter were twisted down, and even sod and stones "of a considerable size" were torn up. No injuries were reported, however. 330:, many structures were damaged. A house in Framingham was destroyed while two women were inside, but they suffered only bruises. The tornado dissipated east of Framingham. Many crops were destroyed by winds and floods. 273:. There it damaged several homes and barns, including an unroofing of a large brick home, but only injured two people slightly. The damage continued into at least 665:
This day was the most extensive tornado event on record at the time, and was the most severe tornado outbreak in early New England history, on par only with the
326:. In Marlborough, a barn was thrown from its foundation. A house's roof was destroyed, with pieces scattered 0.75 miles (1.2 km) away. In Southborough and 695: 921:
No Author (September 3, 1787). "Goucester, August 17, 1787". Hartford, Connecticut: The Connecticut Courant and Weekly Intelligencer. p. 2.
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No Author (September 3, 1787). "Glocester, August 17, 1787". Hartford, Connecticut: The Connecticut Courant and Weekly Intelligencer. p. 2.
1089: 1199: 666: 258:, between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., moving east-northeast. A barn roof was blown 2 miles (3.2 km) away. The tornado then passed through 751: 251:
stones weighing more than 1 ounce (28 g) damaged crops and broke windows. Four men were struck by lightning, but survived.
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The tornado continued east-northeast from Wethersfield, leveling almost all trees in its path, until it reached
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J. Lewis (August 20, 2009). "An Account of the late hurricane at Wethersfield". Hartford, Connecticut:
319: 1194: 683: 600: 570: 541: 524: 441: 327: 285: 263: 216: 760: 710: 644: 625: 445: 433: 404: 342: 338: 270: 255: 682:) a few days later, detailing the appearance of "a black column from the earth to the cloud" near 503: 300: 244: 499: 469: 437: 346: 292: 259: 1041: 989: 946: 907: 819: 219:, and many were injured throughout New England. This event is considered to be the first true 1017: 965: 922: 883: 847: 795: 507: 473: 453: 408: 308: 278: 1167: 281:, where more damage was done, but any specific damage done or human casualties are unknown. 1163: 1013: 961: 843: 791: 199:
on August 15, 1787. At least five separate tornadoes caused major damage in the states of
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Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
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A map of towns which reported damage. Not all of these damage areas were definitely
678: 220: 1154: 755: 686:. This was the most complete description of a tornado on record until the 1830s. 1021: 969: 926: 887: 851: 799: 291:
The third tornado of the outbreak was a long-tracked tornado, first spotted in
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No Author (August 27, 1787). "Portsmouth, August 18". Hartford, Connecticut:
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No Author (August 27, 1787). "Litchfield, August 20". Hartford, Connecticut:
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Parts of this article (those related to List of known tornadoes) need to be
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No Author (August 27, 1787). "Boston, August 20". Hartford, Connecticut:
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The final tornado of the day occurred much further north in the town of
1119:. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. 318:. The tornado caused more severe damage along the border between 236: 192: 1166:: The Salem Press Publishing and Printing Company. p.  248: 696:
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
311:, 20 miles (32 km) from where it touched down. 360:List of confirmed tornadoes — August 15, 1787 1186: 1014:The Connecticut Courant and Weekly Intelligencer 792:The Connecticut Courant and Weekly Intelligencer 314:The fourth known tornado was first spotted near 1138:. Boston, MA: American Meteorological Society. 591:Two people were injured. Affected the towns of 837: 835: 833: 831: 829: 498:One person was injured. Affected the towns of 653:Sources: Grazulis, pg. 553; Ludlam pgs. 12-16 962:Connecticut Courant and Weekly Intelligencer 844:Connecticut Courant and Weekly Intelligencer 239:, and some tornadoes hit more than one town. 877: 875: 865: 863: 861: 826: 776: 774: 772: 770: 667:September 1821 New England tornado outbreak 1088:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( 1067:The Great Tornado of 1821 In New Hampshire 735: 733: 731: 729: 727: 725: 352: 1096: 1011: 996: 959: 920: 914: 881: 789: 660: 215:. Two people were killed by a tornado in 1114: 872: 858: 841: 767: 607: 548: 386: 230: 722: 284:The second tornado was spotted west of 180:Time from first tornado to last tornado 1187: 1152: 1133: 1063: 334:damage was greatest in these areas. 254:The first tornado touched down near 247:, where a strong northwest wind and 17: 1200:1787 disasters in the United States 243:The first storm damage occurred in 13: 1136:Early American Tornadoes 1586–1870 1108: 432:- 10 additional injured. Affected 14: 1256: 1134:Ludlum, David McWilliams (1970). 749:Tornado: Largest Tornado Outbreak 1115:Grazulis, Thomas P (July 1993). 672:A document was published in the 173:Most severe tornado damage; see 22: 1117:Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991 1057: 1048: 1005: 616: 557: 514: 460: 395: 110: 1156:Historic Storms of New England 953: 783: 742: 706:List of Rhode Island tornadoes 647:was affected by this tornado. 191:was a destructive outbreak of 1: 716: 701:List of Connecticut tornadoes 356: 7: 754:September 26, 2013, at the 689: 316:Northborough, Massachusetts 226: 10: 1261: 1245:Tornadoes in New Hampshire 1240:Tornadoes in Massachusetts 295:. It moved northeast into 149:2 fatalities, ≥15 injuries 1235:Tornadoes in Rhode Island 764:. Accessed June 25, 2009. 651: 643:Two people were injured. 359: 217:Wethersfield, Connecticut 171: 161: 153: 145: 141: 137: 133: 123: 109: 99: 95: 91: 87: 79: 71: 67: 63: 59: 1230:Tornadoes in Connecticut 761:Arizona State University 711:Tornadoes in New England 343:Dunbarton, New Hampshire 339:Rochester, New Hampshire 256:New Britain, Connecticut 189:Four-State Tornado Swarm 55:Four-State Tornado Swarm 1153:Perley, Sidney (1891). 504:Glocester, Rhode Island 426:≥5 miles (8.0 km) 353:List of known tornadoes 245:Litchfield, Connecticut 1205:1787 natural disasters 1064:Lamb, Fred W. (1908). 661:Historical perspective 538:5 miles (8.0 km) 495:20 miles (32 km) 347:Concord, New Hampshire 293:Killingly, Connecticut 240: 1220:1787 in New Hampshire 1215:1787 in Massachusetts 588:8 miles (13 km) 508:Mendon, Massachusetts 234: 1225:1787 in Rhode Island 1164:Salem, Massachusetts 1210:1787 in Connecticut 674:Connecticut Courant 56: 1040:has generic name ( 988:has generic name ( 945:has generic name ( 906:has generic name ( 818:has generic name ( 241: 54: 1070:. Manchester, N.H 739:Grazulis, pg. 553 658: 657: 654: 185: 184: 52: 51: 1252: 1195:1787 meteorology 1181: 1176: 1174: 1161: 1149: 1130: 1103: 1100: 1094: 1093: 1087: 1079: 1077: 1075: 1061: 1055: 1052: 1046: 1045: 1039: 1035: 1033: 1025: 1009: 1003: 1000: 994: 993: 987: 983: 981: 973: 957: 951: 950: 944: 940: 938: 930: 918: 912: 911: 905: 901: 899: 891: 879: 870: 867: 856: 855: 839: 824: 823: 817: 813: 811: 803: 787: 781: 778: 765: 746: 740: 737: 679:Hartford Courant 652: 357: 221:tornado outbreak 126:tornado outbreak 112: 75:Tornado outbreak 57: 53: 47: 44: 38: 26: 25: 18: 1260: 1259: 1255: 1254: 1253: 1251: 1250: 1249: 1185: 1184: 1172: 1170: 1159: 1146: 1127: 1111: 1109:Book references 1106: 1101: 1097: 1081: 1080: 1073: 1071: 1062: 1058: 1053: 1049: 1037: 1036: 1027: 1026: 1010: 1006: 1001: 997: 985: 984: 975: 974: 958: 954: 942: 941: 932: 931: 919: 915: 903: 902: 893: 892: 880: 873: 868: 859: 840: 827: 815: 814: 805: 804: 788: 784: 779: 768: 756:Wayback Machine 747: 743: 738: 723: 719: 692: 663: 621: 562: 519: 484:Providence (RI) 465: 400: 355: 229: 178: 125: 101: 83:August 15, 1787 48: 42: 39: 36: 27: 23: 12: 11: 5: 1258: 1248: 1247: 1242: 1237: 1232: 1227: 1222: 1217: 1212: 1207: 1202: 1197: 1183: 1182: 1150: 1144: 1131: 1125: 1110: 1107: 1105: 1104: 1102:Ludlam, pg. 13 1095: 1056: 1054:Perley, p. 142 1047: 1004: 1002:Ludlam, pg. 16 995: 952: 913: 871: 869:Ludlam, pg. 15 857: 825: 782: 780:Ludlam, pg. 12 766: 741: 720: 718: 715: 714: 713: 708: 703: 698: 691: 688: 662: 659: 656: 655: 649: 648: 641: 638: 635: 630: 622: 617: 614: 613: 605: 604: 589: 586: 583: 574: 563: 558: 555: 554: 546: 545: 544:was affected. 539: 536: 533: 528: 520: 515: 512: 511: 496: 493: 490: 488:Worcester (MA) 477: 466: 461: 458: 457: 427: 424: 421: 412: 401: 396: 393: 392: 384: 383: 380: 377: 374: 371: 368: 362: 361: 354: 351: 262:on its way to 228: 225: 183: 182: 169: 168: 163: 162:Areas affected 159: 158: 155: 151: 150: 147: 143: 142: 139: 138: 135: 134: 131: 130: 127: 121: 120: 114: 107: 106: 103: 97: 96: 93: 92: 89: 88: 85: 84: 81: 77: 76: 73: 69: 68: 65: 64: 61: 60: 50: 49: 43:September 2020 30: 28: 21: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1257: 1246: 1243: 1241: 1238: 1236: 1233: 1231: 1228: 1226: 1223: 1221: 1218: 1216: 1213: 1211: 1208: 1206: 1203: 1201: 1198: 1196: 1193: 1192: 1190: 1180: 1179:1787 tornado. 1169: 1165: 1158: 1157: 1151: 1147: 1145:0-933876-32-7 1141: 1137: 1132: 1128: 1126:1-879362-03-1 1122: 1118: 1113: 1112: 1099: 1091: 1085: 1069: 1068: 1060: 1051: 1043: 1038:|author= 1031: 1023: 1019: 1016:. p. 3. 1015: 1008: 999: 991: 986:|author= 979: 971: 967: 964:. p. 3. 963: 956: 948: 943:|author= 936: 928: 924: 917: 909: 904:|author= 897: 889: 885: 878: 876: 866: 864: 862: 853: 849: 846:. p. 3. 845: 838: 836: 834: 832: 830: 821: 816:|author= 809: 801: 797: 794:. p. 3. 793: 786: 777: 775: 773: 771: 763: 762: 757: 753: 750: 745: 736: 734: 732: 730: 728: 726: 721: 712: 709: 707: 704: 702: 699: 697: 694: 693: 687: 685: 681: 680: 675: 670: 668: 650: 646: 642: 639: 636: 634: 631: 629: 627: 623: 620: 615: 612: 611: 610:New Hampshire 606: 602: 598: 594: 590: 587: 584: 582: 578: 575: 573: 572: 568: 564: 561: 556: 553: 552: 551:Massachusetts 547: 543: 540: 537: 534: 532: 529: 527: 526: 521: 518: 513: 509: 505: 501: 497: 494: 491: 489: 485: 481: 478: 476: 475: 471: 467: 464: 459: 455: 451: 447: 443: 439: 435: 431: 428: 425: 422: 420: 416: 413: 411: 410: 406: 402: 399: 394: 391: 390: 385: 381: 378: 375: 372: 369: 367: 364: 363: 358: 350: 348: 344: 340: 335: 331: 329: 325: 321: 317: 312: 310: 306: 305:Massachusetts 302: 298: 294: 289: 287: 282: 280: 276: 272: 267: 265: 261: 257: 252: 250: 246: 238: 233: 224: 222: 218: 214: 213:New Hampshire 210: 209:Massachusetts 206: 202: 198: 194: 190: 181: 177: 176: 170: 167: 164: 160: 156: 152: 148: 144: 140: 136: 132: 128: 122: 118: 115: 108: 104: 98: 94: 90: 86: 82: 78: 74: 70: 66: 62: 58: 46: 34: 29: 20: 19: 16: 1178: 1171:. Retrieved 1155: 1135: 1116: 1098: 1072:. Retrieved 1066: 1059: 1050: 1007: 998: 955: 916: 785: 759: 744: 684:Wethersfield 677: 673: 671: 664: 624: 618: 608: 597:Southborough 593:Northborough 567:Northborough 565: 559: 549: 542:East Windsor 525:East Windsor 522: 516: 468: 462: 442:Wethersfield 429: 403: 397: 387: 336: 332: 324:Southborough 313: 297:Rhode Island 290: 286:East Windsor 283: 268: 264:Wethersfield 253: 242: 205:Rhode Island 188: 186: 179: 175:Fujita scale 172: 40: 32: 15: 446:Glastonbury 434:New Britain 405:New Britain 389:Connecticut 379:Path length 320:Marlborough 271:Glastonbury 223:on record. 201:Connecticut 197:New England 166:New England 124:Duration of 1189:Categories 1074:August 15, 717:References 601:Framingham 571:Framingham 474:Mendon, MA 376:Time (UTC) 328:Framingham 307:as far as 146:Fatalities 129:3.5+ hours 1084:cite book 1030:cite news 1022:552554744 978:cite news 970:552554794 935:cite news 927:552545010 896:cite news 888:552545010 852:552570278 808:cite news 800:552558913 676:(now the 645:Rochester 633:Strafford 626:Rochester 581:Middlesex 577:Worcester 500:Killingly 470:Killingly 438:Newington 301:Glocester 260:Newington 193:tornadoes 102:confirmed 100:Tornadoes 1173:June 25, 1018:ProQuest 966:ProQuest 923:ProQuest 884:ProQuest 848:ProQuest 796:ProQuest 752:Archived 690:See also 640:unknown 637:unknown 585:unknown 535:unknown 531:Hartford 454:Coventry 430:2 deaths 415:Hartford 409:Coventry 370:Location 299:to near 279:Coventry 237:tornadic 227:Synopsis 80:Duration 480:Windham 419:Tolland 382:Damage 157:Unknown 119:tornado 117:Unrated 33:updated 1142:  1123:  1020:  968:  925:  886:  850:  798:  599:, and 523:NE of 506:, and 452:, and 450:Bolton 373:County 309:Mendon 275:Bolton 211:, and 154:Damage 113:rating 1160:(PDF) 492:1700 423:1330 1175:2009 1140:ISBN 1121:ISBN 1090:link 1076:2009 1042:help 990:help 947:help 908:help 820:help 628:area 345:and 322:and 277:and 249:hail 187:The 111:Max. 72:Type 1168:135 569:to 472:to 407:to 195:in 1191:: 1177:. 1162:. 1086:}} 1082:{{ 1034:: 1032:}} 1028:{{ 982:: 980:}} 976:{{ 939:: 937:}} 933:{{ 900:: 898:}} 894:{{ 874:^ 860:^ 828:^ 812:: 810:}} 806:{{ 769:^ 758:. 724:^ 619:F? 603:. 595:, 579:, 560:F? 517:F? 510:. 502:, 486:, 482:, 463:F? 456:. 448:, 444:, 440:, 436:, 417:, 398:F? 366:F# 207:, 203:, 105:≥5 1148:. 1129:. 1092:) 1078:. 1044:) 1024:. 992:) 972:. 949:) 929:. 910:) 890:. 854:. 822:) 802:. 45:) 41:( 35:.

Index

Unrated
New England
Fujita scale
tornadoes
New England
Connecticut
Rhode Island
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Wethersfield, Connecticut
tornado outbreak

tornadic
Litchfield, Connecticut
hail
New Britain, Connecticut
Newington
Wethersfield
Glastonbury
Bolton
Coventry
East Windsor
Killingly, Connecticut
Rhode Island
Glocester
Massachusetts
Mendon
Northborough, Massachusetts
Marlborough
Southborough

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