Heritage Zen:: Photos from the Worcester Tornado, June 9, 1953

(Copyright (c) 2014 Cynthia Shenette) As a family historian you never know what is going to find its way to you. A couple of months ago my cousin contacted me and asked me if I'd be interested in some photos she found in with her dad's things. The photos posted here, taken after the Worcester tornado in 1953, were with the items she sent me. If you are interested in seeing more do a Google search on the 1953 Worcester tornado, and you will find dozens of photos that capture the aftermath of the massive storm that wreaked havoc across central Massachusetts 61 years ago today. Wikipedia has a good entry and the City of Worcester has a color slide show you can view here. For a more in depth study the book, Tornado! 84 Minutes, 94 Lives by John M. O'Toole is excellent.

The captions under the photos in quotes are written on the backs of the individual images and appear to be in my grandmother's handwriting. My family's home did not get hit by the tornado due to some luck. The tornado turned when it got to Indian Lake which was between our house and the funnel cloud. If you'd like to read my previous blog posts on the tornado you can find them here and here. Anyone who was around Worcester or if their family was around at that time has a story to tell about that day. It was an event that defined a generation, and to some extent, it still defines many locals even today.