PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com"Pepper's a tornado dog," says Gene Sweeney, 71, about how his dog sought shelter with him in their Stewart Ave. basement during last year's tornado. Sweeney says his house shifted off of its foundation and the chimney collapsed.
PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com"We could open our doors and invite the community in to do what needed to be done," says Rev. Ian Lynch, pastor at the First Congregational Church in Brimfield. He says that the church provided meals for the first few months after the storm to volunteers, first responders and survivors of the tornado.
PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.comBrimfield, Monson and other western Massachusetts towns are still rebuilding after the 2011 tornadoes that slashed through the hills just north of the Connecticut border.
Patrick Raycraft, Hartford Courant
David Owens / Hartford CourantDamaged house on Washington Street in Monson, Mass.
Patrick Raycraft, Hartford CourantThis building in Springfield was damaged during Wednesday's storms.
Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantMen with chainsaws clear debris on Merrick Street in West Sprinfield.
Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantStorm damage at Central and Maple streets.
Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantDemolished building on Merrick Street in West Springfield.
Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantA mattress store is damaged in West Springfield, Mass.
Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantTractor-trailer overturned on Memorial Bridge.
Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantA glimpse of a fallen tree on West School Street in Sprinfield.
Patrick Raycraft, Hartford Courant
Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantStorm damage from Adams Street in Springfield, Mass.
Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantRoof damage seen on Main Street in Springfield, Mass.
Christine Dempsey | Hartford CourantAttorney Richard Ianello walks through the rubble Thursday morning. The debris blew across Bliss Street, he said.
Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantStorm damage on Union and Main streets.
PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com"It's been a nightmare. It's creepy," says Laura Yarbrough who visits her Monson property for the first time since November of last year. Yarbrough and her son Joey, 12, sought shelter in their basement during last June's tornado which completely leveled their home (at right). Yarbrough planned to close on her property this week. She returned to dig up the lilac tree (at center) that she planted in her mother's memory ten years ago.
David Owens / Hartford CourantDamaged police department sign in Monson, Mass.
PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com"I grabbed my cat and jumped into the closet. The next thing you know the whole trailer's flying into the air and flipping," says Brett Minney, 49, who sustained multiple injuries in last year's tornado. Minney and his 19-year-old cat Shadow barely survived the tornado that hit their Brimfield trailer on Hollow Road. Minney says he roughed it through the winter in his camper. "I still don't have enough money to do what I need to do," he says.
Patrick Raycraft, The Hartford CourantThis photograph was taken by Gene Sweeney in the immediate aftermath of last year's tornado that destroyed his home on Stewart Ave. in Monson, Mass. Sweeney and his wife moved into their new home a few days before Christmas last year. Photo courtesy of Gene Sweeney
Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantHouse demolished by tree in West Springfield, Mass.
Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantTractor-trailer overturned on Memorial Bridge.
Patrick Raycraft, Hartford CourantDowned trees blocked off streets on Thursday in Springfield.
PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.comDowntown Monson, Mass., is framed by a stand of pine trees that were sheared off in last year's devastating tornado. Residents say that the town center was not previously visible before the tornado. Brimfield, Monson and other western Massachusetts towns are still rebuilding after the 2011 tornadoes that slashed through the hills just north of the Connecticut border.
Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantCouch in porch at Main Street in West Springfield.
Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantStorm damage in Springfield.
PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com"This all happened in twenty seconds," says Gene Sweeney about the tornado that he and his wife Caroline Sweeney survived June 1, 2011. The couple sought shelter in their basement during the tornado that destroyed their home on Stewart Ave. in Monson, Mass. The Sweeneys raised six children in their home over forty-six years. And they were able to move into their new home at the same address a few days before Christmas. "The house really doesn't feel like home yet. I shouldn't complain," says Gene Sweeney.
David Owens / Hartford CourantBent flag pole on Main Street in Monson, Mass.
PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.comThis is a view of Brimfield, Mass. from Paige Hill Road a year after a tornado slashed through the hills just north of the Connecticut border.
Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantStorm damage at East School Street in Springfield, Mass.
David Owens / Hartford CourantDamaged house on Washington Street in Monson, Mass.
Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantA tree is down byMemorial Bridge in Springfield, Mass.
Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantStorm damage on Union and Main streets.
Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantStorm damage on Union and Main streets.
PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.comWorkers from EMC Masonry restore a chimney on a brick home in Monson, Mass. that was damaged by last year's tornado.
David Owens / Hartford CourantIGA Grocery is heavily damaged on Main Street in Monson, Mass.- PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com"Pepper's a tornado dog," says Gene Sweeney, 71, about how his dog sought shelter with him in their Stewart Ave. basement during last year's tornado. Sweeney says his house shifted off of its foundation and the chimney collapsed.
- PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com"We could open our doors and invite the community in to do what needed to be done," says Rev. Ian Lynch, pastor at the First Congregational Church in Brimfield. He says that the church provided meals for the first few months after the storm to volunteers, first responders and survivors of the tornado.
- PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.comBrimfield, Monson and other western Massachusetts towns are still rebuilding after the 2011 tornadoes that slashed through the hills just north of the Connecticut border.
- Patrick Raycraft, Hartford Courant
- David Owens / Hartford CourantDamaged house on Washington Street in Monson, Mass.
- Patrick Raycraft, Hartford CourantThis building in Springfield was damaged during Wednesday's storms.
- Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantMen with chainsaws clear debris on Merrick Street in West Sprinfield.
- Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantStorm damage at Central and Maple streets.
- Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantDemolished building on Merrick Street in West Springfield.
- Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantA mattress store is damaged in West Springfield, Mass.
- Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantTractor-trailer overturned on Memorial Bridge.
- Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantA glimpse of a fallen tree on West School Street in Sprinfield.
- Patrick Raycraft, Hartford Courant
- Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantStorm damage from Adams Street in Springfield, Mass.
- Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantRoof damage seen on Main Street in Springfield, Mass.
- Christine Dempsey | Hartford CourantAttorney Richard Ianello walks through the rubble Thursday morning. The debris blew across Bliss Street, he said.
- Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantStorm damage on Union and Main streets.
- PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com"It's been a nightmare. It's creepy," says Laura Yarbrough who visits her Monson property for the first time since November of last year. Yarbrough and her son Joey, 12, sought shelter in their basement during last June's tornado which completely leveled their home (at right). Yarbrough planned to close on her property this week. She returned to dig up the lilac tree (at center) that she planted in her mother's memory ten years ago.
- David Owens / Hartford CourantDamaged police department sign in Monson, Mass.
- PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com"I grabbed my cat and jumped into the closet. The next thing you know the whole trailer's flying into the air and flipping," says Brett Minney, 49, who sustained multiple injuries in last year's tornado. Minney and his 19-year-old cat Shadow barely survived the tornado that hit their Brimfield trailer on Hollow Road. Minney says he roughed it through the winter in his camper. "I still don't have enough money to do what I need to do," he says.
- Patrick Raycraft, The Hartford CourantThis photograph was taken by Gene Sweeney in the immediate aftermath of last year's tornado that destroyed his home on Stewart Ave. in Monson, Mass. Sweeney and his wife moved into their new home a few days before Christmas last year. Photo courtesy of Gene Sweeney
- Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantHouse demolished by tree in West Springfield, Mass.
- Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantTractor-trailer overturned on Memorial Bridge.
- Patrick Raycraft, Hartford CourantDowned trees blocked off streets on Thursday in Springfield.
- PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.comDowntown Monson, Mass., is framed by a stand of pine trees that were sheared off in last year's devastating tornado. Residents say that the town center was not previously visible before the tornado. Brimfield, Monson and other western Massachusetts towns are still rebuilding after the 2011 tornadoes that slashed through the hills just north of the Connecticut border.
- Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantCouch in porch at Main Street in West Springfield.
- Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantStorm damage in Springfield.
- PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com"This all happened in twenty seconds," says Gene Sweeney about the tornado that he and his wife Caroline Sweeney survived June 1, 2011. The couple sought shelter in their basement during the tornado that destroyed their home on Stewart Ave. in Monson, Mass. The Sweeneys raised six children in their home over forty-six years. And they were able to move into their new home at the same address a few days before Christmas. "The house really doesn't feel like home yet. I shouldn't complain," says Gene Sweeney.
- David Owens / Hartford CourantBent flag pole on Main Street in Monson, Mass.
- PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.comThis is a view of Brimfield, Mass. from Paige Hill Road a year after a tornado slashed through the hills just north of the Connecticut border.
- Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantStorm damage at East School Street in Springfield, Mass.
- David Owens / Hartford CourantDamaged house on Washington Street in Monson, Mass.
- Kim Velsey / Hartford CourantA tree is down byMemorial Bridge in Springfield, Mass.
- Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantStorm damage on Union and Main streets.
- Bettina Hansen / Hartford CourantStorm damage on Union and Main streets.
- PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.comWorkers from EMC Masonry restore a chimney on a brick home in Monson, Mass. that was damaged by last year's tornado.
- David Owens / Hartford CourantIGA Grocery is heavily damaged on Main Street in Monson, Mass.
PATRICK RAYCRAFT | praycraft@courant.com
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"Pepper's a tornado dog," says Gene Sweeney, 71, about how his dog sought shelter with him in their Stewart Ave. basement during last year's tornado. Sweeney says his house shifted off of its foundation and the chimney collapsed.
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