SUNDERLAND, Mass -- Tornado talk continued in Franklin County the day after a late spring storm ripped through the Western Mass. town of Sunderland, causing a tobacco barn to be thrown off its foundation and onto of a state road.
The tempest, which blew through town shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, knocked down trees and downed several telephone and electric lines. Although no injuries were reported, high winds caused 2,500 utility customers to temporarily lose power.
While initially reported as a severe thunderstorm, locals cleaning up the wreckage wondered if it was something bigger.
"Definitely it was something horrific that affected our community," said Kathy Belanger of Deerfield.
"It was over pretty quick," said Sunderland Fire Chief Bob Ahearn who spent Sunday picking up debris at his farm.
Amazingly, another barn - just steps away from the one tossed onto Rt. 47 – was left virtually untouched.
"I feel bad for them, said Gary Penza, owner of the neighboring barn. "Our barn doesn't have a shingle missing and a little damage to the doors."
While the storm's swath left a Russell Road farm with a downed silo and twisted metal in its wake, local tobacco farmer Carl Christian downplayed its impact on this season's cash crop.
"We're just going to go back to work you know," said Christian.
Sunderland was the hardest hit town in Franklin County. The rural community is still feeling the effects of last summer's storm and costly cleanup thereafter.
While this storm damage won't prove as expensive, it won't be forgotten anytime soon.
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