NORTH ATTLEBORO, MASS. (WHDH) – A tornado with winds up to 100 miles-per-hour touched down in Rhode Island and traveled into North Attleboro, Massachusetts Wednesday night, the National Weather Service confirmed.
The NWS in a bulletin said the tornado started in Lincoln, Rhode Island. It then passed through Cumberland, Rhode island on its way to North Attleboro.
The tornado happened as a line of strong storms made their way across southern New England and threw several trees onto homes along its path.
“These people must have been really scared,” said one person in North Attleboro. “I know my friend said it was like a freight train coming through.”
The wild weather started in the early evening and continued for several hours, bringing powerful wind, downpours, and lightning to a wide swath of land from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts.
Bolts of lightning lit up the night sky in Revere and other communities, where flashes came fast and frequently during the storm.
In North Attleboro, downed trees and fallen branches could be seen after sunrise.
Among the damage, one tree on Longview Drive appeared to be charred from a lightning strike. Another tree was completely uprooted from the ground.
“I witnessed quite a few trees down and furniture blowing around, birdhouses blowing off,” said North Attleboro resident Danny Ellis. “Definitely, the storm had lifted everything because my neighbor’s stuff was in my yard.”
Another person told 7NEWS he saw firetrucks speeding through the area overnight.
“We look out this morning and we look at this and we’re going ‘What happened?’” he said.
While significant in some spots, North Attleboro Fire Chief Chris Coleman said the damage did not span the entire community.
“It kind of jumped an area and then it did hit on the east side of our town off of Kelly Boulevard with the same conditions,” he said.
Before officials officially confirmed a tornado, one NWS expert discussed what he saw.
“When…