The NWS Looks Back On 1973 Tornado In Manchester And Vernon

MANCHESTER/VERNON, CT — With all the wacky weather in North Central Connecticut in 2021, the National Weather Service Monday decided to take a look back at the 1973 tornado that touched down on the Manchester-Vernon line.

The class F2 tornado came through the area at about 11 a.m. on Sept. 6 of that year. The NWS said it was not nearly as destructive at the F3 tornado that ravaged Windsor Locks to the north six years later, but several homes in both towns were damaged.

The path of the 1973 tornado was 3.3 miles and it was 33 yards wide, according to the NWS.

No injuries were reported, but the tornado did inflict $2.5 million in damage, including roofs ripped off several homes, according to the weather service. A garage had a wall and roof torn apart and a cement wall was "blown outward" on another building, the NWS said.

Several trees went down and the area in the vicinity of the twister experienced "considerable" power outages, according to the NWS.