Mattapoisett residents prep for Thursday storm amidst tornado cleanup
MATTAPOISETT, Mass. (WLNE) — The town of Mattapoisett was hit hard by a tornado Tuesday morning around 11:20 a.m.
The tornado only lasted about three minutes, but it made a clear impact on the town. The damage ripped trees out of the ground and left debris all over.
Resident Dan Roellke told ABC 6 News Thursday, “I was standing in my mud room when this huge tree fell. It almost fell right in front of my face so if there was two feet to the right then it would have fallen on me in the house.”
The mess left behind after the storm required all hands on deck from the town and private contractors to clean up.
Crews clear storm debris in Mattapoisett, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. (WLNE)
“They have a few contractors that they have subbed out too that are helping with this but this is something that requires additional help than what town can do and I suspect it will be awhile until everything is cleaned up,” Robert McConnell, the Plymouth County Deputy Sheriff, said.
Residents also prepared for strong storms Thursday night, raising concerns about their safety after their experience.
“I know there is still some hanging stuff around so I think it is going to finish off whatever broken limbs or whatever is there so I am just keeping my fingers crossed that nothing falls on the house again,” Roellke explained.
While some were focused on the cleanup process, others focused on preparing for any future storms.
“I would hope they will be making preparations for this but right now we are just concentrating on this or at least I am,” Deputy Sheriff McConnell stated.
