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Massachusetts ‌Communities Recover After Five Tornadoes Touch Down

BERLIN, MA – September 7, 2025 – ‍Multiple Massachusetts towns are assessing⁤ damage following the ⁣confirmation of five EF1 tornadoes that‍ struck on Saturday, September 6, 2025. The National Weather Service (NWS) survey team identified touchdowns in Paxton, holden, Berlin, and Stow.⁣

Damage was primarily limited to uprooted trees, and thankfully, no injuries or fatalities⁤ have been reported. The NWS estimates peak winds reached ‌100-104 mph across​ the five separate tornado paths.

In Berlin, resident Steve Dennis described the tornado’s path as⁢ aligning with a ‌forecast he’d heard. “the guy from the weather bureau, he was telling us that these things traveled usually in the north – they go northeast,” Dennis said. “I’m like, ‘Okay, ‍well that’s⁣ north, ​that’s east. And there it ⁢is going ⁤northeast.’ Just ‍like the guy said.” Dennis ⁤reported minimal damage to his property, noting only downed trees and displaced recycling barrels, and remarkably, his decorative reindeer ​remained ‌intact.

Town officials were quick ⁤to respond. “We weren’t actually expecting one. But we knew ‍the thunderstorm was coming ⁢through and it started off‍ just about 4:30, like every other ⁢storm dose, where we ‍had some wires‍ down,” said‍ Berlin Fire⁤ Chief Michael McQuillen. “Quickly ⁣things changed as⁢ the​ crews started ​responding.”‍

Chief McQuillen and Town Administrator Kristen Rubin utilized an emergency response drone to survey the damage. Rubin stated, “We started surveying the damage and it was ⁢like nothing that I had ever seen before;⁤ except on television.So, the one positive aspect appeared ‍to ⁤be that much of it was in the woods.”

emergency crews from Berlin, including fire, police, EMS, and the highway department, along with mutual aid​ from ​boylston, have been ​working‌ to restore⁣ power and assess infrastructure. McQuillen noted the potential for further damage ‍from weakened trees, stating, “There’s a lot of cases out there where a tree fell in one direction, where it fell to the left, and if it hadn’t fallen to the ‍right, it really⁣ would have destroyed a house.It would have crushed ⁤a house with people ‌inside.”

Dennis echoed a​ sentiment shared​ by many‍ residents, ‌saying, “Plunked itself‌ right here.⁤ But I ​guess all of us feel lucky that the buildings all made it intact.”

Fire Chief McQuillen is⁢ urging residents to inspect trees for loose, hanging branches that could pose a future hazard.