Trapped Drivers, Fire Prompt Busy Day For Falmouth Fire And Rescue Amid Severe Weather

FALMOUTH, MA — Tuesday's severe storms brought a confirmed tornado to Cape Cod in addition to flooding that was felt by Falmouth residents.

Falmouth Fire and Rescue officials, as a result, were quite busy on Tuesday. According to officials, Group #2 was on duty and responded to 27 incidents between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Perhaps the biggest issue they dealt with during the day was flooding, specifically drivers trying to make it through flooded roadways.

Officials said there were "several" drivers at the corner of Main Street and Falmouth Heights Road that tried to drive through flooding and ended up with a stuck vehicle. More seriously, a driver on Highcrest Drive in North Falmouth needed to be extracted from their car to make it to safety.

Though drivers posed a major problem, there were other issues at hand as well during the 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. time frame.

During that time there were several severe thunderstorm alerts along with two tornado warnings, one of which resulted in the confirmed tornado that touched down in the Marstons Mills area.

There was also one reported structure fire at a commercial building on Main Street, 11 reports of flooded basements, six medical calls and about nine other storm-related problems, officials said.

Tuesday's weather brought heavy rainfall to Cape Cod, resulting in at least 2.2 inches in Falmouth, according to a 1 p.m. report from the National Weather Service. In Yarmouth, 4.26 inches were recorded by 1 p.m.

Nearby, a small EF-0 tornado touched down in the town of Barnstable, near the village of Marstons Mills, at 11:52 a.m., officials said. The storm moved east and northeast from Evergreen Drive for approximately four minutes before lifting over Joe Thompson Road, at approximately 11:56 a.m., officials said.

Damage from the tornado included an uprooted hardwood tree and a downed electrical pole, while there was also debris including smaller trees, fence posts and branches. The damage was most concentrated near the center of the track at the intersection of Race Lane and Osterville-West Barnstable Road.

"Witnesses described a chaotic event, observing airborne fence posts and branches," a National Weather Service report said.

Read more: Tornado Confirmed In Barnstable During Day Of Severe Weather