The 1953 Worcester tornado was an extremely powerful and destructive tornado that struck the city of Worcester, Massachusetts and surrounding areas on Tuesday, June 9, 1953. It was part of the Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak sequence, which occurred over a three-day period from June 6–9, 1953. The storm stayed on the ground for nearly 90 minutes, traveling 48 miles across Central Massachusetts. In total, 94 people were killed, making it the 21st deadliest tornado in the history of the United States, and the deadliest in the history of New England. In addition to the fatalities, nearly 1,300 people were injured and 4,000 buildings were damaged. The tornado caused $52 million in damage (equivalent to $ million in ). After the Fujita scale was developed in 1971, the storm was classified as F4, the second highest rating on the scale. At approximately 4:25 pm (EST), the tornado touched down in a forest near the town of Petersham, and proceeded to move through Barre, where two people were killed. It then moved through the western suburbs of Worcester, where 11 more people were killed. The storm then passed through Worcester, where it destroyed Assumption College and several other buildings, killing 60. After striking Worcester, it killed 21 more people in the towns of Shrewsbury, Southborough, and Westborough, before dissipating over Framingham. According to National Weather Service estimates, over 10,000 people were left homeless as a result of the tornado. Meteorological synopsis Buildup to storm On June 7, 1953, a strong shortwave trough moved eastward over the Rocky Mountains, bringing with it strong upward motion that induced lee cyclogenesis: the formation of a low-pressure area over eastern Colorado. In combination with the warm unstable air in place over the Great Plains, and an elevated mixed layer from the desert southwest, this led to conditions favorable for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. More than 30 tornadoes occurred that day across Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, including a violent tornado that killed 11 people near Arcadia, Nebraska. On June 8 the storm system moved northeast These conditions led to several tornadoes in the states of Michigan, Ohio, and Nebraska: most notably the Flint-Beecher tornado. The storm killed 116 people in the northern Flint suburb of Beecher, and injured 844. In addition, seven other tornadoes across the region caused 449 more injuries and 26 more fatalities. After the use of the Fujita scale began, the Flint-Beecher tornado was