Although I now live in the Hudson Valley, I am originally from a small town in Western Mass. and my family and many of my friends still live in the area. It was completely surreal to turn on The Weather Channel yesterday afternoon and watch the tornado tear through Springfield and then hear that another one was hitting my hometown of Palmer.
Thank God everyone I know is safe, and there was no damage to my immediate family’s homes. Springfield is just a wreck, said people I know who live and work in that area. But my heart breaks for Monson, the next town over from Palmer. I know a few people who live there and to see the damage and utter devastation… well, there just aren’t words. My friend Holly posted several photos of the damage on Facebook, and the picture above is one of them. That church steeple was 137 years old.
I was astounded as I watched this video showing aerial footage of the area. That poor town is destroyed. We’ve been through blizzards and hurricanes, but this is something on another level. Of course, the people of WMass are very strong and they’ll get through this, but my thoughts and prayers are with them. I hope yours are, too.