June 30th, 1998 Severe Weather Outbreak Report

Hello to all,

The following is a report on the June 30th, 1998 flooding and severe
weather outbreak.

It has already been a very busy year for SKYWARN in Southern New
England. We already have had about a dozen SKYWARN activations,
including the May 31st derecho event that occurred just one
month prior to this event and we also had a major flood event on
the weekend of June 13th and 14th of this year. Many of the SKYWARN
Coordinators and net controls thought there would be little that could
rival the event of May 31st and the flooding approximately
2 weeks prior to June 30th, however, many coordinators were surprised
and astounded by what would happen on June 30th.

We already had one large area of showers and thunderstorms cross the
area. In a stripe from Northern CT through Northern RI and interior
Southeastern Massachusetts 3-6" of rain fell. SKYWARN had been
activated in all areas for rain guage reports, as well as river, stream
and road flooding. As this activity passed during the mid afternoon
hours across Southern New England, thoughts then turned to severe
weather. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued for Southern
Connecticut and there was the potential for severe weather across much
of Southern New England.

I responded to NWS Taunton at their request and arrived at the forecast
office at approximately 5:30 PM. After completing forwarding of
residual rain guage and flood reports to the staff there. We then began
with the severe weather event.

Activity bombed along the Southern CT coast. Severe Thunderstorm
Warnings rapidly turned into what we feared, tornado warnings. A
Tornado Warning was issued for Middlesex County CT, and then for New
London County CT. Warning information for the state of Connecticut was
forwarded by me at National Weather Taunton, to Len Mathieu, N1PTG,
Connecticut SKYWARN Assistant State Coordiantor on the 146.97 Paxton
Repeater as well as notification of SKYWARN nets starting across the
state of Connecticut.

Jim McBride, KD1LD, immediately brought up a net in formal mode. Grave
reports were received out of Moonville, CT, with lots of wind damage
reported. Hams were heard responding rapidly to numerous EOC's across
New London County. While this county is under NWS Brookhaven's area
of responsibility, it is one county away from Washington County RI
which was in my weather office's responsibility, and a much more
heightened awareness was gained listening to the reports on the
New London County CT SKYWARN Net. From our NWSFO, we assisted
in forwarding reports to NWS Brookhaven as needed. Based on the
reports given from this net additional head's up notification
was given to Jeff Mitchell for the South County RI nets and
to Rhode Island State SEC and SKYWARN Coordinator, Martin
Mendelson, N1JMA.

The supercell that slammed Middlesex and New London Counties in CT,
raced into Washington County RI and a Severe Thunderstorm Warning
was issued for that area. Jeff Mitchell, N1YDU, acted as NCS for
the net on the 147.165 Exeter RI Repeater. Numerous 1/2" hail reports
were received as well as the report of two telephone poles blown down
in Ashaway, RI. Following the 1/2" hail reports, a report of Golf Ball
Baseball size hail was reported in Richmond, RI. This report verified
the warning and also showed how volitale the atmosphere was along the
South Coast of New England. Other reports of hail up to dime sized were
received from this net.

The storm raced into Bristol and Newport Counties RI and weakened
just slightly as it crossed Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. Martin
Mendeleson, N1JMA, had a net active on the 146.76 Scituate Repeater
to cover reports out of that area. The storm then reintensified and
pounded South Coastal Massachusetts and SKYWARN was there on the 145.49
Fairhaven Repeater. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for
Southern Bristol and Southern Plymouth Counties.

Numerous severe weather reports came streaming in with dime to
quarter sized hail reported in the following locations between
10 and 10:20 PM:

South Dartmouth
New Bedford
Fairhaven
Mattapoisett

Also wind damage with large branches blown down occurred on the
Tucker Road section of North Dartmouth Massachuetts.

Suddenly, the 145.49 Repeater went down, and simplex operation and
net control was assumed by Tony Duarte, N1XRS, Assistant EC for
the South Coastal Massachusetts ARES group. I raced over to the
147.315 Wareham Repeater where more reports of quarter sized hail
was received in Wareham and Onset Ma.

The storm intensified so much at one point that the radar detected
a possible tornado within the storm. This prompted the issuance
of a Tornado Warning for Western Barnstable County. QST's for
emergency traffic were issued on the 146.655 Falmouth, and 147.045
Yarmouth 2 meter repeaters. WQ1O, Frank Laughlin, Cape Cod and
Isles EC, and N1UGE, Charlie, in the affected areas responded.
Winds were strong but no tornado occurred. Quarter sized hail
was reported in Bourne, Sandwich and Barnstable Massachusetts.

After the SKYWARN nets secured at 11:30 PM. More information on the
storm's destruction followed. In Middlesex County Connecticut, it
was found that a F0 Tornado touched down in Chester, CT and a F1
Tornado in Killingworth CT. Funnel Clouds were spotted as far
east as Moonville, CT, with a large amount of wind damage done
in much of New London County CT.

Also, in Fairhaven Massachusetts, KA1WBF, Marc Jodoin, Fairhaven
Repeater trustee and Emergency Management director for the town of
Fairhaven reported a wall blown down and the roof blown off of the
Fairhaven Lumber building. Also numerous trees were blown down near the
site of the lumber building. Tom Fair, and Alan Dunham, meteorologists
from the National Weather Service in Taunton surveyed this damage and
found that the damage was caused by straight line winds, or a downburst
with wind speeds estimated between 75 and 85 MPH. Pictures were
taken by both Marc Jodoin, Fairhaven EMA director, and the NWS Taunton
meteorologists, and some video of the damage was shot as well.

Also, Assistant SKYWARN Coordinator for South Coastal Massachusetts, ML
Baron, KA1WBH, received a call regarding damage to Howland Green House
in Fairhaven Massachusetts. I, as SEMCARES Emergency Coordinator, and
ARES SKYWARN Cooridnator, investigated the damage done at the
greenhouse and the damage done was caused by hail shattering
approximately 2 dozen panes of windows total between two green houses.
Numerous other window panes were cracked. The damage at this building
was videotaped. Further investigation revealed that golf ball sized
hail occurred in this area, and in the East Fairhaven Mill Road area,
dime sized hail occurred and accumilated to a six inch depth on part of
the roadway. The hail in the Fairhaven area came in waves and lasted
approximately 10 minutes per numerous spotter and eyewitness accounts.

A hearty thank you, to all the SKYWARN Coordinators, NCS's and
Spotters, as well as ARES/RACES personnel for all their assistance
during this event and the past events thus far in Severe Weather Season
1998, one that all involved in the events this past year will always
remember.

Respectfully Submitted,

Robert Macedo (KD1CY)
ARES SKYWARN Coordinator
SEMCARES Emergency Coordinator
Pager #: (508) 354-3142
Home Phone #: (508) 994-1875 (After 6 PM)
Home/Data #: (508) 997-4503  (After 6 PM)
Work Phone #: 1-800-445-2588 Ext.: 72929  (8 AM-5 PM)
Email Address: rmacedo@pop.ma.ultranet.com
Packet Address: KD1CY @ AA1FS
http://www.ultranet.com/~rmacedo

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