YARMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) – Tens of thousands of people are without power after the National Weather Service says an EF -1 tornado touched down in both Yarmouth and then Harwich on Tuesday.
A tornado warning was in effect for Barnstable County for more than an hour. Radar showed that a tornado touched down just after 12 p.m., according to the NWS.
RELATED: ‘Like a freight train’: Roof ripped off popular hotel as tornado lashes Cape Cod
The weather service and the state Emergency Management Agency went to the scene for further assessment.
[BREAKING] High End EF-1 Tornado Confirmed on Cape Cod with maximum wind strength of 110 mph. The damage on Cape Cod was a combination of two tornado touchdowns in Yarmouth and Harwich along with plenty of straight line wind damage. More specific details will be sent tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/7sh2yUJXOn
— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) July 24, 2019
Wind gusts of more than 110 mph in some areas uprooted trees, ripped off roofs, sent sheds airborne, blew down fences, and toppled utility poles.
The storm system also produced thunder, hail, lightning, and heavy downpours.
CAUGHT ON CAMERA: The moment a #Yarmouth hotel roof rips off in the storm. These two women are ok. @yarmouthpolice say all guests accounted for, nobody hurt. We’re still live @7News pic.twitter.com/R5RHO4qHta
— Kim Lucey (@KimLucey) July 23, 2019
More than 50,000 Bay State residents were without power at 4 p.m., according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
As of 4:00 PM, power outages of ~54,000 customers
Branches, trees and power lines down in many #CapeCod communities
Outage tracking map: https://t.co/tKdER1Llac
Power outage safety tips: https://t.co/7KtWzMhiMZ pic.twitter.com/GVPLCUNsEp— MEMA (@MassEMA) July 23, 2019
Chatham, Dennis, and Harwich appeared to be the hardest-hit areas.
Police in those towns warned residents to stay in their homes due to extensive damage from downed wires and trees that have made roads impassable.
RELATED: Videos show waterspout off Cape Cod before tornado causes widespread damage
Strong storms off the coast of Cape Cod just west of Martha’s Vineyard produced a waterspout before the tornado touched down, according to forecasters.
“We’ve seen some spin and rotation to the east of Block Island,” 7Weather meteorologist Chris Lambert said. “The cell likely has produced a waterspout south of Rhode Island.”
Red Cross volunteers on the Cape are mobilizing to bring comfort & assistance to residents affected by today’s intense storms. Storms brought down trees and thousands are without power. Red Cross volunteers are currently assisting people at the Harwich Community Center on Oak St. pic.twitter.com/24GqnUiDpE
— RedCrossMA (@RedCrossMA) July 23, 2019
The American Red Cross and Massachusetts State Police are sending crews to assist with recovery efforts. The Red Cross will have crews at Harwich Community Center and the Harwich Police and Fire Station.
There were no reports of injuries.
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