[Context, courtesy of Wikipedia: “The 1953 Worcester tornado was an extremely powerful tornado that struck the city and surrounding area of Worcester, Massachusetts on June 9, 1953. It was part of the Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak sequence, which occurred over a three-day period from June 6—9, 1953. The storm stayed on the ground for nearly 90 minutes, traveling 48 miles across Central Massachusetts. In total, 94 people were killed, making it the 21st deadliest tornado in the history of the United States.”]
Ken Mallet left his dry cleaning shop as soon as the wind died down and hurried to the scene of the devastation. His delivery truck soon became a makeshift ambulance. He told the Worcester Evening Gazette:
I made four trips altogether. There was one load with a boy, eight or ten, and he died on the way. There was another one. A girl about six, with her left leg hanging by a thread. Nearly everybody was bleeding. I had ‘em packed in like sardines.
Source:
Pletcher, Larry. “The Worcester Tornado.” Massachusetts Disasters: True Stories of Tragedy and Survival. Insiders Guide, 2006. 162. Print.
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