Massachusetts – On Saturday afternoon, powerful EF1 tornadoes touched down in four Massachusetts towns — Paxton, Holden, Berlin, and Stow — marking the first confirmed tornado occurrences in New England in 2025, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The brief tornadoes accompanied severe thunderstorms sweeping the region, causing notable damage but, fortunately, no reported injuries.
National Weather Service Confirms Multiple Tornado Touchdowns
At 4:07 p.m. on Saturday, a storm cell producing severe weather spawned a series of tornado touchdowns across central Massachusetts. After conducting an extensive field survey, NWS meteorologists confirmed that these tornadoes were categorized as EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, characterized by wind speeds ranging from 86 to 110 miles per hour.
In their official statement, the National Weather Service noted:
“NWS Boston meteorologists conducting a storm survey have determined that a brief EF1 tornado occurred in Paxton MA with a second brief touchdown in Holden MA also determined to be EF1.”
The same storm cell was responsible for additional EF1 tornado touchdowns in Berlin and Stow, intensifying the scope of the weather event. These tornadoes are the first confirmed in the New England region for the year 2025, signalling the onset of a severe weather pattern not commonly observed this early.
Significant Tree Damage in Holden
The town of Holden, located in Worcester County, experienced some of the most visible tornado damage. Several large, mature trees were uprooted along South Road, significantly altering the landscape.
“It’ll change the landscape forever here,” said local homeowner Janna Goodnow. “It’s like a movie scene, you don’t expect to see trees uprooted like that.”
Another resident, Don Jacobs, shared his experience of receiving a tornado warning on his phone:
“The cellphone tells you this day and age to run to your basement, and of course I didn’t move. Good news is it happens so fast that you don’t have time to get scared.”
Jacobs described the visual impact of the tornado:
“By the time we looked out of the window, we could see all of the leaves and branches going around in a circle, and then we heard a big thud,”
referring to the massive tree that was uprooted in his front lawn, noting the irony that they were about to reseed their lawn the following day but had to cancel.
Chris Quinn, another Holden resident, remarked on the surprising lack of home damage despite the dense tree coverage:
“You look at the density of all of the trees, and it’s amazing that there isn’t more house damage.”
Regional Impact and Tornado Warning Advisory
Parts of Worcester and Middlesex counties were placed under tornado warnings for nearly an hour during the Saturday afternoon event. Meteorologists from indicated the tornado in Holden was only on the ground briefly before dissipating.
The NWS survey team also extended their inspection to other affected locations, including Berlin and western Massachusetts areas like Otis and Blandford. No tornado damage was identified in Otis and Blandford, focusing the confirmed tornado activity on the four aforementioned towns.
What to Expect Next: Ongoing Investigations and Weather Updates
The National Weather Service is expected to release more detailed findings on Tuesday, as they continue analyzing the extent of damage and weather patterns associated with this rare tornado outbreak. Residents in the affected counties are advised to stay updated on weather warnings and to take appropriate safety precautions during severe weather events.
- Four Massachusetts towns affected: Paxton, Holden, Berlin, and Stow
- EF1 tornadoes: Wind speeds between 86 mph and 110 mph
- No injuries reported thanks to timely warnings and brief touchdown durations
- Significant tree damage, especially in Holden’s South Road area
- Tornado warnings in Worcester and Middlesex counties lasted nearly an hour
More details about these tornadoes can be found through the National Weather Service report.
What do you think about this tornado outbreak in Massachusetts? Have you ever experienced severe weather like this? Share your thoughts in the comments below!