NWS: Tornado That Touched Down In Tolland County 'Not Unusual'

TOLLAND COUNTY, CT — The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down in Tolland County during Wednesday evening's powerful thunderstorm.

A report relased late Thursday afternoon showed the storm left a path of destruction from Vernon to Mansfield and winds reached close to 90 MPH when a tornado measuring 50-yards wide touched down along a "discontinuous" 3.2-mile path from North River Road in Coventry and a spot just east of Plains Road on Mansfield.

Such an occurrance is not as unsual as one might think, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service said.

"You can't put a number on it, but a tornado in southern New England is not unheard of," said Bryce Williams of the NWS. "When conditions are right, it can happen anytime except the winter."

The NWS released a storm sequence that began when winds intensified at about half-past 5 Wednesday evening:

• 5:35 p.m. - Trees down on Prospect Street in Vernon
• 5:35 p.m. - Trees and wires down on High Street and Tracy Drive in Vernon
• 5:36 p.m. - Tre Blocking Tower Road in Vernon
• 5:40 p.m. - Winds reach 85 to 90 mph and a tornado touches down on North River Road in Coventry.
• 5:44 p.m. - Trees and wires fall on Merrow Road in Coventry
• 5:45 p.m. - About 100 trees fall at the Skungamaug River Gold Club on Folly Lane In Coventry
• 5:54 p.m. - Wires and branches fall on Ravine Road in Mansfield
• 5:54 p.m. - Corn was flattened in a field near the intersection of Plains and Stafford roads in Mansfield

Coventry police released a Facebook video of some damage:

"This can certainly happen in Connecticut," Williams said. "When we get moisture, instability and a wind shear — and the clouds start spinning — a tornado is possible."