Torrential rains across Massachusetts have flooded entire cars and destroyed buildings, while the east coast has been inundated by flooding for the second straight season.
A tornado made landfall in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts — about an hour’s drive from Boston — on Tuesday morning as the state bore the brunt of the region’s weather system.
All day, torrential rains swept through New England, causing travel chaos, swamping roads and unnerving officials — flood warnings were instituted in several states and water rescue teams were deployed in western Vermont.
Just a day after a series of storms battered the east coast, torrential rain fell, killing at least two people and leaving nearly a million without power.
Entire cars were swamped in Massachusetts on Tuesday as severe storms swept across the east coast
A tornado swept through Mattapoisett, Massachusetts Tuesday morning, as the National Weather Service said the cyclone reached gusts of nearly 100 miles per hour and was about 1,000 feet wide
The National Weather Service confirmed that the tornado hit the small village after surveying the damage. He said he reached wind speeds of almost 100 miles per hour and was about 300 meters wide.
Stunning footage showed the powerful gusts uprooting a huge tree in their path, and a witness told NBC5 that the system felled 30 trees in her neighborhood alone.
Officials also warned that the storm may have destroyed the city’s water treatment center, although there were no reports of injuries or deaths as a result of the cyclone.
“Well, I’ve seen trees fly sideways, you know? Branches, you know, go sideways,” a Mattapoisett resident told WCVB. “It was great, super windy.”
Tornado warnings were also issued in several other central Massachusetts cities earlier in the day, and the storm system brought down heavy rains across the region, causing rapid flash flooding.
Flood warnings remain in effect throughout Tuesday evening in central and eastern Massachusetts, where numerous cars were seen completely submerged following the flooding.
Emergency services on a washed out road in Auburn, Maine after the weather system broke
A public works site manager in Auburn wades through see-saw water covering the street in Auburn, Maine, Tuesday after severe flooding
A witness to the tornado that struck Mattapoisett, Massachusetts said the strong winds downed about 30 trees in her neighborhood
Flash flooding inundated a street in Andover, Massachusetts, as much of the state was on flood warnings
Police in Natick, Massachusetts, said several vehicles were pinched when roads became impassable, a problem spotted in reports on social media in several other Massachusetts cities, including Newton and Framingham.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation also reported that several major roads in Revere, New Bedford and a portion of Interstate 95 were closed due to the flooding.
Boston’s subway services were also temporarily replaced by buses after flooding inundated the subway system.
In Maine, flash flood warnings were rolled out across much of the state after about five inches of rainfall fell.
The National Weather Service issued a sea alert – for coastal areas and yachtsmen – as dangerously high surf and gusts in excess of 50mph battered the state’s coast.
After about five inches of rain through midday, officials in Exeter, New Hampshire warned that weather in the area would escalate into Tuesday night and another five to three inches an hour could be expected.
“Be careful if you’re out and about in these multiple rains today,” Exeter Fire Brigade wrote on X. “Turn over, don’t drown” is always the message from our firefighters when encountering flooded roads.”
Water rescue teams were dispatched to western Vermont while much of the state was under flood surveillance.
On Monday, Maryland sheriffs said 34 vehicles were pinched by the fallen wires and electricians were working to shut off power so people could be extricated
A 15-year-old boy died Monday in Anderson, South Carolina when a tree fell on him
Tuesday’s massacre came just a day after at least two people were killed and nearly a million left without power as more storms battered the east coast.
In Westminster, just outside Baltimore, 33 adults and 14 children were trapped by power cables that were torn down in high winds.
The devastating weather front wreaked havoc across multiple states, and footage shared on social media showed the destruction stretching from Atlanta, Georgia to New York.
Flights across the eastern US have been delayed or canceled, affecting some of the country’s busiest airports – including Atlanta, Philadelphia, Charlotte, JFK and Newark.
By the end of Monday, nearly 8,500 flights within, into or out of the United States had been delayed and 1,735 had been cancelled.
A 15-year-old boy was killed in Anderson, South Carolina when a tree fell on the garage of his grandparents’ home.