By Max Bowen
max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
The National Weather Service Survey Team has confirmed that a tornado with winds of 100 mph struck late last night, beginning in Rhode Island and ending in North Attleborough.
According to a post to the NWS Boston’s X (Twitter) page, the tornado began in Lincoln, Rhode Island and went through Cumberland, Rhode Island, ending in North Attleborough, a path length of 4.3 miles.
The tornado touched down near Breakneck Hill Road in Lincoln and traveled east-northeast, according to the NWS. A number of large hardwood trees were uprooted, some of which fell onto homes and other structures in Lincoln and Cumberland. The width of the tornado was around 100 yards. As it entered North Attleborough, it continued to snap and uproot trees before lifting in the vicinity of Cushman Road.
NWS Boston confirmed on Thursday afternoon that the tornado was an EF-1. The Fujita Scale categorizes tornadoes based on wind speed, with those in the EF-1 category between 86 and 110 mph. A tornado in the EF5 category sees wind speeds greater than 200 mph.
“Max wind speeds were 100 mph” stated NWS Boston of Wednesday’s tornado.
North Attleborough has seen a good deal of devastating weather in the past year. Last September, brutal flash floods caused damage to 200 homes, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has responded with financial aid.
A tornado touched down in North Attleborough on Aug. 18 last year, causing moderate damage to trees, power lines and heavy flooding. The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that an EF 1 tornado with speeds reaching 90 miles per hour touched down just over Cumberland, Rhode Island, at about 9:30 a.m. Cumberland borders North Attleborough. According to the NWS, most of the damage caused by the tornado occurred at the intersection of Monticello Drive and Mendon Road.
In a post to the NAFD’s Facebook page, Fire Chief Christopher Coleman stated that several areas throughout town were impacted by the weather, including the southern end of town near Longview Drive, Mendon Road, Adamsdale, May Street, Kelley Boulevard, Bungay Road, Mount Vernon Avenue and Mansfield Road.
“Community members are advised to be cautious of any downed trees or branches and low-hanging wires,” the statement read.
To assist residents with removing debris from their yards, the Department of Public Works will open the Compost Facility on Plain Street from Thursday through next Wednesday. The hours of operation will be as follows:
-Friday, June 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
-Saturday, June 29-Wednesday, July 3, from 8 a.m. -3:30 p.m.
This cleanup effort is exclusively for North Attleborough residents. To gain entry, bring North Attleborough ID with address. For those who have hired contractors to handle the cleanup, please ensure they responsibly dispose of the materials elsewhere. This site is reserved for residents’ use.
