NWS confirms EF-1 tornado touched down in North Attleboro and Rhode Island

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. — The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touched down in southern New England Wednesday night, carving a path through Rhode Island and into Massachusetts.

The EF-1 tornado first touched down in Lincoln, Rhode Island around 11:23 p.m. moving north through Cumberland before crossing the border and dissipating in North Attleboro, the NWS survey team said Thursday afternoon.

The tornado blew around 100 miles per hour at points as it traveled 4.3 miles. The tornado’s maximum width reached a maximum width of 100 yards.

Drone video shows a path of fallen trees lying across some rooftops in the area.

Drone video: Damage from Thursday's severe weather in North Attleboro Drone video: Damage from Thursday's severe weather in North Attleboro

Danny Ellis says the wind and pounding rain work him up late on Wednesday night.

“About 11:30 the house started vibrating. We heard the rain pounding. Then the house started vibrating and I heard slamming and I looked out the window but I didn’t want to look to far because it was bowing in,” said Danny Ellis who lives on Mendon Road.

The winds so strong his news windows were bowing in. So strong that it blew down trees, broke windows and then flipped this pavilion over from one yard right into the neighbor’s.

And as the sun came up Ellis could see what happened.

“I woke up this morning and everybody’s furniture was in my pool and those trees were down. And there’s trees on houses,” he said.

All in all, Ellis says the storm wasn’t too bad. In all his years he says he’s seen mother nature dish out much worse.

“A storm - we’re in New England. It’s better than the blizzard of “78,” he said.

Wednesday’s tornado was the third time a twister had hit the town of North Attleboro in the past 10 months.

A, EF-1 tornado blew through town in August 2023 before an EF-0 storm hit the Bristol County community in September.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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