Storms on Cape Cod Spawn Rare and Damaging Tornado

A rare tornado and severe storms hit Yarmouth and other towns on Massachusetts’s Cape Cod on Tuesday, July 23, damaging structures, downing trees, and cutting power to thousands of people in the area, local media reported.

As of 4 pm on Tuesday, power outages were affecting 53,900 Massachusetts customers, including many on Cape Cod, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

The National Weather Service (NWS) placed several areas in Massachusetts under tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings during the late morning and early afternoon.

This video, taken at the Cape Sands Inn in West Yarmouth, shows a twisted railing along an outdoor motel walkway and firefighters responding to the scene. Local media reported the roof of the inn was blown off from the tornado.

The NWS said on Tuesday that it sent a team to survey the area’s tornado damage. Credit: Megan McGuire via Storyful