Community Corner

UPDATED: Tornado Touches Down in Massachusetts, Warning for Waltham

A tornado has reportedly touched down in Western Mass. and severe weather is expected in the Waltham area before 8 p.m.

Updated, 7:57 p.m.: The National Weather Service has extended its tornado watch for Middlesex County until 11 p.m. 

In a press conference held just before 8 p.m., Gov. Deval Patrick also declared a state of emergency for Massachusetts. 

A tornado touched down in Springfield this afternoon and headed toward Sturbridge, near the I-90/I-84 interchange. A funnel cloud was reported over Worcester, according to news reports.

Find out what's happening in Walthamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The severe weather is forecast for the Waltham area from after 5 p.m. and until 8 p.m. The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunder storm warning and a tornado watch – which is not as serious as a warning – for the area.

Bolts of lightning and thunder has been seen and heard in Waltham starting at about 5 p.m.

Find out what's happening in Walthamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Here are some tornado safety tips from the NOAA website.

In a house with a basement: Avoid windows. Get in the basement and under some kind of sturdy protection (heavy table or work bench), or cover yourself with a mattress or sleeping bag. Know where very heavy objects rest on the floor above (pianos, refrigerators, water beds, etc.) and do not go under them. They may fall down through a weakened floor and crush you.

In a house with no basement, a dorm, or an apartment: Avoid windows. Go to the lowest floor, small center room (like a bathroom or closet), under a stairwell, or in an interior hallway with no windows. Crouch as low as possible to the floor, facing down; and cover your head with your hands. A bath tub may offer a shell of partial protection. Even in an interior room, you should cover yourself with some sort of thick padding (mattress, blankets, etc.), to protect against falling debris in case the roof and ceiling fail.

In an office building, hospital, nursing home or skyscraper:Go directly to an enclosed, windowless area in the center of the building -- away from glass and on the lowest floor possible. Then, crouch down and cover your head. Interior stairwells are usually good places to take shelter, and if not crowded, allow you to get to a lower level quickly. Stay off the elevators; you could be trapped in them if the power is lost.

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