EF1 tornado in Mattapoisett: What to know about 95 mph destructive winds on North Street

The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado that hit Mattapoisett Tuesday at 11:20 a.m. was an EF1, whipping 95 mph winds, spanning .9 miles long and 300 yards wide.

According to the NWS, "the storm was on the ground for approximately three minutes. The storm moved to the northeast at approximately 20 miles per hour and lifted off the ground on North Street just north of Eldorado Drive. Numerous large pine and maple trees were uprooted falling in several directions. There were also numerous pine trees along the path that were snapped off between 10 and 20 feet above the ground. The most concentrated damage was found along Eldorado Drive by Granada Court."

According to a press release from the town of Mattapoisett, around 11:45 a.m. Mattapoisett "experienced severe weather in the areas of Tinkham Lane, Acushnet Road and North Street, north of the 195 Interchange.

"As a result ... there has been damage to homes and vehicles as well as a significant number of downed trees impacting roadway access and downing power lines."

According to the release, the town's water treatment plant "is believed to have sustained damage" but was still functional. No injuries had been reported, the release said.

A history of twisters: Tornadoes in Massachusetts since 1950

Damage reported in Mattapoisett

“At 11:18 a.m. EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Mattapoisett, or near Marion, moving northeast at 20 mph,” NWS reported in its warning, which expired less than a half hour later.

While the town's press release noted the "possibility that a tornado touched down within the town," NWS confirmed its presence around 1:30 p.m. on social media.

NWS later released a report identifying the tornado as an EF1 with 95 mile per hour winds, a length of about .9 miles and width of about 300 yards. NWS reports the "start location" of the tornado as the intersection of Acushnet Road and Hereford Hill Road.

According to the report, the tornado lasted about three minutes, with a "start time" of 11:20 a.m. and "end time" of 11:23 a.m., dissipating near North Street, north of Eldorado Drive.

What is the EF scale

Tornadoes with an Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale rating of 1 entails three-second gusts of 86-110 miles per hour. The scale runs from 0 (65-85 miles per hour winds) up to 5 (over 200 miles per hour.) According to NWS, common damage indicators of EF-1 tornados include damage to small barns and "farm outbuildings."

According to the NWS, the EF Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories: EF0 is weak with 65 to 85 mph winds; EF1 is weak with 86 to 110 mph winds; EF2 is strong with 111 to 135 mph winds; EF3 is strong with 136 to 165 mph winds; EF4 is violent with 166 to 200 mph winds; and EF5 is violent with winds over 200 mph.

Where is Mattapoisett, Massachusetts?

Mattapoisett is a town in southern Plymouth County. It is located northeast of New Bedford along Buzzards Bay. The I-195 interstate runs through the community of just over 6,500 people.

A first-time experience

"I'm 73 years old; never experienced a tornado in my life," said Mattapoisett resident Marcia Mitchell, who described the location of her home as being about 150 feet away and diagonally across from where the tornado struck. "It wasn't like a train, but it certainly like a 'woosh'-ing sound."

Mitchell said she and Pat Harrington, who lives at the same residence, were home with their granddaughter when they noticed tornado warnings being transmitted to multiple electronic devices around the house.

"So we started to get away from the windows in the house and then the transformer across the street blew up and the sky just lit up. It was like a warzone," Mitchell said. "So it was after that we gathered our granddaughter, went down in the basement and stayed there."

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What's with all the tornado warnings?

With tornado warnings having been issued in the area several times this summer, NWS meteorologists said we're in the midst of an unusual weather pattern.

"We have an upper-level trough... and that's helping create an unstable atmosphere," said NWS meteorologist Andy Nash.

On the current weather situation, Nash said Tuesday that NWS would be working to analyze data and draw conclusions.

*This article may be updated throughout the day.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Mattapoisett tornado was an EF1: Details on the Massachusetts storm