Amateur radio volunteers serving in the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) and the National Weather Service SKYWARN® program were active over the weekend. They were serving their communities in New England as tornado-warned storms moved across New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Five EF1 tornadoes struck the central Massachusetts communities of Paxton, Holden, Berlin and Stow. 

A squall line of severe thunderstorms that would eventually have embedded tornadoes in central Massachusetts swept across the region. SKYWARN nets activated on repeaters across the area. Reports came in rapidly of downed trees and wires, as well as hail up to ¾” in diameter in western Massachusetts, with radio amateurs sharing critical damage reports from this area. In addition, reports of damage were received in all of the tornado path areas in near real time and were shared with the National Weather Service, Boston / Norton Weather Forecast Office, WX1BOX, amateur radio team direct via repeaters, using various applications, email, social media that the amateur radio team utilizes.

“It had been a below normal 2025 severe weather season with only one large-scale severe weather event [in July] across Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts,” said Rob Macedo, KD1CY, ARRL Eastern Massachusetts Section Emergency Coordinator and SKYWARN Coordinator. “That all changed on September 6th.”

Southern New England averages 2 tornadoes per year. The 6 states of New England average 8 tornadoes per year and there had been none in 2025 until Saturday, 9/6, when 2/3 of the average yearly total occurred. This outbreak also put southern New England above average for tornadoes in the 2025 season.

All active SKYWARN nets were secured around 6:30 PM Saturday. Andrew Loconto, Lead Meteorologist NWS Norton MA, commented, “Thanks to the entire team for all the reports today!” A complete summary of the severe weather in southern New England can be seen on the WX1BOX web site.