One tornado was captured on a mounted video camera as it tore through Springfield, the state’s third-largest city. At the MassMutual Center, an event facility where seniors from Wilbraham’s Minnechaug Regional High School had gathered for the prom, the tornado terrified photographers and students as it whirled outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
“It looked like birds were flying out of the trees, and it was rubble,” said Martha Vachon, of Photography by Duval of Palmer. The prom went on as scheduled.
Gov. Deval Patrick told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Thursday that considering how quickly the tornadoes formed, he feels fortunate there weren’t more fatalities.
“When I spoke with the mayor of Springfield yesterday, he told me they had about 10 minutes’ warning,” Mr. Patrick said.
“When you consider how quickly the tornadoes developed and then touched down, the fact that there wasn’t even greater damage and loss of life is a remarkable thing.”
Four fatalities have been confirmed so far.
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