Massachusetts, 2002

Hail and Damaging Wind in Massachusetts, July 19, 2002

July 19, 2002 · NWS BOX · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

Lightning from early morning thunderstorms caused brief power outages and minor damage in Essex County. Just after dawn, other thunderstorms moved across central and eastern Massachusetts.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$102,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BOX wrote it up.

Lightning from early morning thunderstorms caused brief power outages and minor damage in Essex County. A shed was damaged by a lightning-induced fire in Methuen and about 2,500 customers lost power in Methuen, Andover, Lawrence, Boxford, and Salisbury.Just after dawn, other thunderstorms moved across central and eastern Massachusetts. One thunderstorm briefly became severe in Worcester County, producing dime sized hail in Southbridge and downing large branches. The storm weakened as it reached greater Boston, but lightning struck two homes in Quincy and damaged two vehicles on the Southeast Expressway in Milton. No injuries were reported.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Boston/Norton, MA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 18, 11:37 PM EST, 1 hour 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 11:37 PM EST, 1 hour 38 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1237 AM EDT FRI JUL 19 2002

...CONTRASTED COOLER RELIEF WITH STRATUS EXPANDING INLAND FROM
COASTAL AREAS TODAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY WHILE MOST OF INTERIOR SNE
ENJOYS A DECENT WEEKEND THEN WIDESPREAD UNCOMFORTABLE CONDITIONS
RETURN TO SNE EARLY NEXT WEEK...

MODEL OF CHOICE: FOR CONVECTIVE PARMS USING THE AVN THRUOUT.
                 LOW LVL RH IS WELL INDICATED BY BOTH 00Z ETA
                 ANDD GFS-AVN MODELS.

NOW THRU 00Z/SAT: SLOW MOVERS WITH VIL 50 WILL PROMPT CONCERN
                  FOR 3/4 HAIL...OTRW WITH LITTLE WIND ALOFT JUST
                  EXPECT POWER OUTAGE LIGHTING STRIKES AND RW+ WITH
                  1+/HR RFALL RATES BENEATH VILS OF 35+.

MUCH MORE LATER...

.BOX...
CT...NONE.
MA...NONE.
NH...NONE.
RI...NONE.
MARINE...NONE.

The radar

The Boston radar (KBOX), 79 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:44 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 lightning, 1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Essex

When
July 19, 1:15 AM EST to 2:15 AM EST
Where
Essex County, Methuen
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
42.639, -70.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Norfolk

When
July 19, 5:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Norfolk County, Milton
Property damage
$90,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
42.171, -71.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Worcester

When
July 19, 6:45 AM EST
Where
Worcester County, Southbridge
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.067, -72.033

Thunderstorm Wind, Worcester

When
July 19, 6:45 AM EST
Where
Worcester County, Southbridge
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.067, -72.033

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Massachusetts in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Massachusetts, July 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5306730, 5306731, 5306728, 5306729.