Weather Experts: Revere Got Hit By a Tornado

Weather officials confirmed Monday afternoon that a tornado was responsible for the damage caused in Revere as the fierce mixture of rain and winds swept through the Greater Boston area, toppling trees and leading to severe roadway flooding.

According to the National Weather Service, after conducting a survey in Revere once the extreme weather subsided, experts concluded that what’s known as an “E2” tornado on the Fujita Scale, with winds of up to 120 miles-per-hour, hit the region. The tornado, which started in Chelsea, had a path length of two miles, and width of 3/8 of a mile, according to the report.

In describing the scene, the National Weather Service said City Hall sustained roof and window damage, and more than a hundred homes had been impacted by the storm. As the tornado came through Revere it uprooted large trees, hurling them into the air and causing them to land on cars. The tornado ripped parts of residents’ roofs off of their houses, blew out building windows, and knocked wires, lampposts, and large commercial signs to the ground.

Revere Mayor Dan Rizzo said workers were deployed around the city to assist residents in the aftermath of the severe storm. He advised people to refrain from using the roads, many of which were impeded by massive tree branches and other debris swept up and tossed to the ground by the tornado.  “The city is working in conjunction with State and Federal agencies to clean up and restore services,” he said.

During a press conference Monday afternoon, he said they will make sure residents get back to normal as soon as possible. “The main thing I want to get across is for residents to stay calm,” he said.

As of noon, officials from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reported that there were no serious injuries or deaths as a result of the storm. They encouraged people affected by the tornado and the heavy downpours to take photos of the damages for insurance purposes, as experts continued to get an idea of just how bad the scenario was.

Revere Fire Chief Gene Doherty said some minor injuries were reported, including a baby on Mountain Avenue that sustained cuts due to broken glass. Another woman had a head laceration.  “There were a couple of partial building collapses, and roofs off on buildings,” he said. “They are doing a house-by-house [investigation] to ensure no other occupants were in the homes. We were fortunate when this did occur people already left for work.”

Below is a video posted to Instagram that appears to show the tornado as it came through part of Revere.

Here are additional photos of some of the damage brought on by the tornado:

Photo courtesy of the Massachusetts State Police

Revere rink roof in someone's front lawn pic.twitter.com/Y1QUveTaqr

— ひ (@reddman93) July 28, 2014

A sign fell on cars in Revere #WildWeatherOn7 pic.twitter.com/c5byINvx5Y

— nicole (@nzwick10) July 28, 2014

https://twitter.com/F1aw1essCowboy7/status/493791664553852928