Courtesy of Harwich Police.
BOSTON – The National Weather Service confirmed that two tornadoes touched down on Cape Cod during Tuesday’s storm.
The agency released a complete report of its survey of storm damage.
The long-lived supercell thunderstorm produced waterspouts on both Vineyard Sound and Nantucket Sound. One of the waterspouts moved onshore as a tornado just west of Kalmus Beach in Hyannis.
That tornado traveled a discontinuous path and lifted in South Yarmouth.
The same storm produced a second tornado in Harwich a few minutes later.
Straight-line wind damage was observed in Dennis and Chatham.
The first tornado lasted from 11:57 a.m. to 12:07 p.m. and was classified as EF-1. EF-1 tornadoes have a maximum wind speed of 110 mph and a maximum width of 250 yards.
That tornado followed a discontinuous path of just over 5.5 miles.
A waterspout moved onshore just west of Kalmus Beach with winds gusting to 91 mph at a mesonet observation site. The tornado continued moving northeastward at about 35 mph. The damage was discontinuous but the damage was quite significant where the tornado touched down.
The roof of the Cape Sands Inn on the south side of Main Street in West Yarmouth was completely peeled off.
Additional significant tornado damage occurred just southwest of the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, particularly along Hazelmoor Road from Violet Glen Road to Vine Brook Road.
Dozens of large trees were uprooted and a few were snapped off. A house had shingles blown off. Another home had a hole in the roof from a fallen tree.
The tornado then lifted, however severe straight-line wind damage was observed from West Dennis eastward to West Harwich. Numerous large trees were uprooted, consistent with 90 mph gusts or greater.
The same supercell produced a second tornado that touched down near the center of Harwich. The tornado lasted from 12:10 to 12:15 p.m. and was also classified as EF-1.
The initial touchdown was just east of Harwich Elementary School, just south of Parallel Street.
It moved northeast through Harwich Center, passing just south of a golf course, and lifted in East Harwich in the vicinity of Queen Anne Road. The tornado traveled about 2.77 miles.
At least 150 hardwood trees were either uprooted or snapped. A few homes also had shingles that were ripped off.
The tornado then lifted, however severe straight-line wind damage was observed in Chatham. Numerous large trees were uprooted, consistent with 90 mph gusts or greater.
Both tornadoes had wind gusts estimated as high as 110 mph, which fall on the high end of EF-1 strength tornadoes. EF-2 classified tornadoes have wind speeds beginning at 111 mph.
There were no injuries reported from either tornado.
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