Flood and High Wind in Massachusetts, October 1, 2010

Name: Flood and High Wind in Massachusetts, October 1, 2010
Start: 2010-10-01T02:00
End: 2010-10-01T09:23
Location: Massachusetts

October 1, 2010 · NWS ALY · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

The combination of an intensifying low pressure system, the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole, and high pressure off the New England coast created a very strong pressure gradient across the region. Strong and gusty southerly winds occurred across the Berkshires as the low approached with wind gusts up to 50 to 60 mph.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 ALY wrote it up.

In addition, heavy rains occurred with storm total rainfall of 4 to 6 inches across the Berkshires, resulting in some urban flooding. Prior to this event, rainfall deficits were running around 6 to 9 inches.

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 Albany, NY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 1, 1:00 AM EST, 1 hour earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 1, 1:00 AM EST, 1 hour before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 30, 11:19 PM EST, 2 hours 41 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
1219 AM EDT FRI OCT 1 2010

CTZ001-013-MAZ001-025-NYZ054-061-066-084-VTZ013>015-011100-
NORTHERN LITCHFIELD-SOUTHERN LITCHFIELD-NORTHERN BERKSHIRE-
SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE-EASTERN RENSSELAER-EASTERN COLUMBIA-
EASTERN DUTCHESS-SOUTHERN WASHINGTON-BENNINGTON-WESTERN WINDHAM-
EASTERN WINDHAM-
1219 AM EDT FRI OCT 1 2010

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EDT EARLY THIS MORNING...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN VERMONT...BERKSHIRE
AND LITCHFIELD COUNTIES...AND THE TACONICS OF NEW YORK NORTH INTO
SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   HIGH WIND WARNING.
   FLOOD WATCH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PLEASE
REPORT ANY RAINFALL AMOUNTS GREATER THAN 2 INCHES AND ANY FLOODING.

NYZ038>041-043-047>053-058>060-063>065-083-011100-
SOUTHERN HERKIMER-SOUTHERN FULTON-MONTGOMERY-NORTHERN SARATOGA-
NORTHERN WASHINGTON-SCHOHARIE-WESTERN SCHENECTADY-
EASTERN SCHENECTADY-SOUTHERN SARATOGA-WESTERN ALBANY-EASTERN ALBANY-
WESTERN RENSSELAER-WESTERN GREENE-EASTERN GREENE-WESTERN COLUMBIA-
WESTERN ULSTER-EASTERN ULSTER-WESTERN DUTCHESS-SOUTHEAST WARREN-
1219 AM EDT FRI OCT 1 2010

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE GREATER CAPITAL DISTRICT
INCLUDING THE SARATOGA AND GLENS FALLS AREAS...NORTHERN WASHINGTON
COUNTY...THE MOHAWK VALLEY...AND THE EASTERN CATSKILLS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   FLOOD WATCH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PLEASE
REPORT ANY RAINFALL AMOUNTS GREATER THAN 2 INCHES AND ANY FLOODING.

NYZ032-033-042-082-011100-
NORTHERN HERKIMER-HAMILTON-NORTHERN WARREN-NORTHERN FULTON-
1219 AM EDT FRI OCT 1 2010

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR FOR THE SOUTHERN ADIRONDACKS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   FLOOD WATCH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

FROST IS POSSIBLE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHTS AS TEMPERATURES ARE
FORECAST TO DROP INTO THE LOWER TO MID 30S.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PLEASE
REPORT ANY RAINFALL AMOUNTS GREATER THAN 2 INCHES AND ANY FLOODING.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 high wind, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Northern Berkshire

When: October 1, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Berkshire forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 42.371, -73.206 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds caused a tree limb to come down onto a primary power line on Crane Avenue in Pittsfield, resulting in a power outage to about 350 homes.

Power was restored by 8 AM LST, however Crane Avenue remained closed until late in the afternoon while road crews repaired the substantial gash burned into the pavement by the downed live power lines.

Flood, Berkshire

When: October 1, 6:23 AM EST to 9:23 AM EST
Where: Berkshire County, 0.86 mi SW of North Adams to 0.67 mi S of North Adams
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 42.690, -73.110

Poor drainage flooding was reported in North Adams due to heavy rainfall.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Massachusetts in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Massachusetts, October 2010

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 265266, 265265.