ICYMI: KODACHROME: Remembering the Tornado of 1953

WORCESTER, MA—Sixty-three years ago, residents from Petersham through Worcester were dealing with the aftermath of a devastating tornado that killed 94 people, injured more than 1,000, and caused $52 million in damage.

The powerful tornado struck down on June 9, 1953, in Petersham and ripped for some 90 minutes through Central Massachusetts, hitting Worcester and surrounding towns, including Shrewsbury, Westborough and Southborough. According to Wikipedia, the storm was classified in 1971 as an F4, which is the second highest on the Fujita scale.

The storm destroyed Assumption College, and reportedly, more than 10,000 people were left homeless.

Find additional photos here.

Click here for a comprehensive slide show on the City of Worcester site.

Photo Credit: Photographer Clarence J Flodine who lived on Hartford Road behind Assumption (now Quinsig). David Smith, who shared the photos, inherited his Kodachrome slides after he passed and scanned a portion of them in for this album.