Webster Tornado Leaves Line Of Destruction, Town Looks To Rebuild

WEBSTER (CBS) -- By Monday, the town of Webster was looking forward to rebuilding homes and businesses after an EF-1 tornado touched down Saturday. The worst of the damage is on Main Street.

Two buildings there have already been torn down because of the damage. An engineer will be assessing the damage at another building across the street to determine if it's the next building to go.

Debris sits where two buildings once did on Main Street in Webster. They were torn down after a tornado hit Saturday (WBZ-TV)

The winds reached 110 mph, causing extensive damage.

According to Town Administrator Doug Willardson, the tornado "almost followed Main Street the whole way down."

Webster Town Administrator Doug Willardson (WBZ-TV)

"Most of the damage was this area right here," said Willardson, pointing where Davis and Main Street meet. Then "it hit right behind our police station" on Main Street.

Thirty-four people are now displaced.

A representative from the American Red Cross met with residents Monday afternoon.

"Most of all, we're lucky because we had very, very few injuries," Willardson said.  One woman was hurt when debris fell on her car but she has since been released from the hospital.

Webster Tornado: How It Happened

Photos: Webster Tornado Damage

Webster is working with MEMA and the state to declare the tornado as a disaster, according to Willardson, and hopefully, financial aid to help them rebuild will follow.

There are no estimates yet on how much the damage will cost.

This is the third tornado to hit southern Massachusetts in the last three weeks, including two in Douglas and Upton.

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