Click the audio player above to hear a radio report from New England Public Radio’s Carrie Healy.
Residents and public safety officials are cleaning up and assessing damage after an EF1 tornado ripped through part of Conway, Massachusetts over the weekend. Kurt Schwartz, director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, said his agency will be in the Franklin County town as long as necessary.
“We’ll stay and continue to support the town, coordinate mutual aid from state agencies and other communities,” Schwartz said. “When the town says they’re all set, then we’re all set.”
No serious injuries were reported. Six properties were significantly damaged, and downed trees brought down power lines and closed thirty roads just after the storm. All but three roads were reopened as of Monday morning.
The National Weather Service says it’s the first time a tornado has ever been reported in Massachusetts in February. Records date to 1950.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.