WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Tornado Leaves Path of Destruction
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Washington, Vermont - May 10, 2009
The National Weather Service has confirmed it was, in fact, a tornado that tore through Washington, Vermont Saturday night.
Winds estimated at 90 to 100 miles per hour ripped down trees, destroyed a barn, and tore the roof off a six-unit apartment complex. Mickey Vermette, the building's owner, had lived in the building for nearly 40 years and saw it ripped apart in a matter of seconds. "Pretty devastating to come out and see that on the ground," he said. "It took an awful wind to do that."
Witnesses described that "awful wind" as a tornado. "I saw a tornado come over the top of the hill coming down through the field," Hunter Shaw said, "so I quick ran to the cellar."
"It was fast," Ryan Bresette said. "Within five seconds it was gone. The clouds opened up and all of a sudden a full funnel went through the sky and that was that, it was gone."
The National Weather Service spent Sunday talking to witnesses and assessing the damage. "What we look for with a tornado is the damage to be lying in different directions," said Greg Hanson of the NWS, "where with a straight-line wind you'd see everything falling over in the same direction."
Trees were uprooted and torn to shreds. Pieces of the apartment building's roof were wrapped around neighbors' trees. The NWS said damage from a tornado is rarely seen in Vermont. "Generally when we do see them they are relatively weak, every couple years or so," Hanson said. "This time of year is a little more rare. Usually we'll see them in July and August, so May is definitely not the time we usually see it."
Hanson said this tornado was the second earliest since records began in 1950. The earliest was in Bennington County on March 22, 1955.
No one was hurt in the storm. Tenants inside all six apartments in Vermette's building were able to get out safely and quickly, thanks to an outpouring of support from neighbors. "As people found out about it, they rushed down here to see what they could do," Cheri Galfetti said. Neighbors were concerned rain would cause the ceiling to cave in, so they moved everyone out of their apartments, including an elderly couple that had not been home when the storm hit. Jill Tremblay said the woman seemed surprisingly calm as she arrived at her storm-damaged home.
"I put my arm around her and said, 'I'm really proud of how you're taking this because it must be hard having all these strangers in your home, touching your things and packing you up and getting you out of here,'" Tremblay recalled, "and she says, 'You're not strangers, you're angels.'"
By Sunday everyone had found other places to stay, but neighbors said they'll work to bring everyone home. "It doesn't stop at this," Tremblay said. "We'll all keep pitching in and helping until they're back."
Mickey Vermette said he does have insurance on the property but doesn't know yet if he'll rebuild. It's not just a matter of replacing the roof; there's a lot of water damage inside the building.
Kate Duffy - WCAX News
