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Date Range
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August 22, 1851 – August 22, 1851
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Title
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1851 Tornado in Arlington, Massachusetts
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What occurred
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On August 22, 1851, a powerful tornado swept through parts of the Greater Boston area, leaving "West Cambridge (Arlington) a devastated swath which was, in most places, from thirty to fifty rods wide". (Hurd, 189) Although the tornado swept through Arlington for only a few minutes, a considerable amount of damage was done to the town. People lost homes, businesses, crop fields, and numerous other things in a matter of minutes. It was said that there was roughly $25,000 of damage in Arlington alone. Luckily, there were no casualties in Arlington as a result of this powerful storm. It was said that the people who witnessed this tornado described it "as a dark cloud sweeping over the surface of the country with frightful speed". (Hurd, 189) The residents of Arlington must have had no idea what this powerful storm was because there had never previously been a tornado in the Boston area prior to 1851. Tornados also do not usually occur in Massachusetts or the New England region. Tornados are likely to occur in the middle region of the United States, in places like Kansas. Following the storm, the residents of Arlington met in the town center and raised money for relief efforts to cover the cost of the damages.
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Location
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82 Mystic St, Arlington, MA 02474
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Image Citation
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The Great Middlesex Tornado- historylecture.org
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Student name(s)
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Tim Mazzei
