1,000 National Guardsmen sent to help with Massachusetts tornado emergency

Until I moved to Florida I lived in Massachusetts all my life. We're pretty strong and used to bad weather. Hot summers, brutal winters that never seem to end but this, everyone is in shock over this. When New Englanders hear about a hurricane, they figure by the time it gets up there, if it does at all, it will be just a lot of wind and nothing to get upset about. When we hear about a tornado, we figure it must be one of the tiny ones taking down a couple of trees. I doubt anyone was really ready when these hit.

New Englanders are also very used to the National Guards showing up whenever mother nature has an issue and thank the Good Lord they do!

Tornadoes kill four; emergency is declared
Storms smash Western, Central Mass.; damage reported in 19 communities

This story was reported by Travis Andersen, Eric Moskowitz, Martin Finucane, Glen Johnson, Bryan Marquard, and David Abel of the Globe staff. It was written by Abel.

SPRINGFIELD — Tornadoes tore through Western and Central Massachusetts yesterday, killing at least four people, injuring an untold number, and reducing schools, churches, and homes to splinters along its destructive path.

Governor Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency throughout Massachusetts and ordered up to 1,000 troops from the National Guard to help with rescue efforts. He said at least 19 communities had reported damage and he asked officials in those towns and cities to close schools and keep nonemergency personnel home today to allow work crews to clear streets.

“We are in an emergency situation,’’ said the governor in a news conference at the state’s emergency management headquarters in Framingham. He said there had been reports of looting in Springfield, and he described the damage from the storm as extensive.
read more here
Tornadoes kill four; emergency is declared

video from CNN