The morning after the tornado touched down in Springfield, photographer Paul Shoul took to the streets. To view a gallery of photos from that day, click on the icons to the right, below the large photo.
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An Ill Wind
In a house in West Springfield, a woman throws her 15-year-old daughter into the bathtub and leaps in on top of her. The house collapses; the woman dies, but the girl survives.
Just a few blocks away, a tree falls on a car with a 23-year-old man in it, killing the man.
Across the river in Springfield, a court clerk starts for the courthouse door. A judge suggests that she wait before heading for her car. As they watch, a furious twister hits the parking lot.
What do New Englanders who never saw a tornado except in The Wizard of Oz do when one is bearing down on them with less than a minute’s notice? A darkening sky, a sound like a roaring train—and trees were uprooted, cars flipped onto their sides, and roofs, furniture and parts of walls sailed away as three tornadoes, one with winds up to 135 miles an hour, smacked down in Westfield, Springfield, West Springfield, Wilbraham, Monson, Brimfield and as far east as Sturbridge June 1. It was phenomenal, officials said later, that only three people died, though 200 more were injured. Over a hundred households in Springfield had to be evacuated.
At press time, figures on the amount of damage caused by the tornado and the state and federal aid that will be available to victims were far from being finalized. On the list of immediate needs are food, clothing, household items, cleanup and rebuilding help (local labor unions are organizing to offer construction and plumbing assistance) and money. Upper Valley residents can take nonperishable food, clothes and bedding to the American Friends Service committee office at 2 Conz Street, Northampton (call 413-584-8975 first). Money can be donated to the Union Community Fund of the Warren J. Plaut Charitable Trust, 640 Page Blvd., Room 101, Springfield, Mass. 01104 or to the United Way of Pioneer Valley (413-693-0227;uwpv.org). To find out if volunteers, including translators who know Nepalese, Arabic, Burmese, Russian or Spanish, are still needed, call the Red Cross at 413-737-4306 or Jobs With Justice at 413-827-0301.
If you are a tornado victim and need help with insurance issues, call the state’s dedicated hotline at 617-521-7777. If anyone claiming to be a contractor offers to repair your home, check his credentials by calling 888-283-3757. Jobs With Justice can also refer you for legal and other services. –Stephanie Kraft
