Hail and Damaging Winds in Massachusetts, June 22, 1997

Severe thunderstorms moved southeastward through the southern portion of the Greater Boston area and parts of Plymouth and Bristol Counties, resulting in one death and three injuries. Off Point Allerton and Peddocks Island, the northernmost points in Plymouth County, a mariner reported a wind gust to 104 mph. In the same area, just south of Peddocks Island, a 64-year-old man was knocked overboard and then drowned after attempting to take down a sail in the high winds. Numerous large trees were reported blown down on Peddocks Island. In Boston Harbor, near Gallops Island, a couple was slightly injured when a lightning struck their boat. Lightning struck a landmark colonial house in Westwood and the resulting fire caused considerable damage. In the Hyde Park section of Boston, a lightning strike ignited a house fire. Several electric companies reported power outages. Four to five thousand Boston Edison Company electric customers lost power in an area including the towns of Norfolk,, Sharon, Waltham, Burlington, Brighton, Sudbury, Walpole, Framingham, and Chelsea. Up to 9,600 other electric customers lost power in other surrounding towns served by the Massachusetts Electric Company. Farther south in Plymouth County, dime size hail was reported at Norwell and numerous trees were reported down in a section of Duxbury. In Bristol County, one tree was reported blown down in Attleboro. Several trees were reported blown down in Raynham and one in Norton. A peak wind gust to 64 mph was measured by a spotter in Fall River and dime size hail fell in both Fall River and Dartmouth. A man was slightly injured by a lightning strike while standing on his porch in Seekonk. Lightning struck a church in New Bedford, causing minor fire damage. Numerous other lightning strikes occurred in the Greater New Bedford area, resulting in power outages affecting up to 12,000 customers at the height of the storm.