Massachusetts again could see a tornado after 2 twisters, heavy rain may spark more flooding

After two tornadoes touched down on Tuesday, there will be yet another twister threat on Thursday for southeastern Massachusetts.

According to the National Weather Service, there is some potential for an isolated tornado in the same areas that saw them on Tuesday. A brief tornado hit Mattapoisett on the South Coast, and then a twister touched down in Barnstable on Cape Cod.

“It should be a similar set up as we saw on Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean it will necessarily pan out in the same way,” Bill Leatham, meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Boston office, told the Herald ahead of Thursday.

“The combination of this tropical environment and spin in the atmosphere can bring the risk for brief tornadoes,” he added. “The risk is there, and we’ll be monitoring it later on Thursday.”

So far this year, four tornadoes have been confirmed in the Bay State — doubling the annual average of two tornadoes. The Tuesday tornadoes in Mattapoisett and Barnstable took down trees and wires.

“Witnesses described a chaotic event, observing airborne fence posts and branches,” reads the NWS damage survey in Barnstable.

Other recent years have been very active when it comes to tornadoes. In 2021, six tornadoes were confirmed in Massachusetts, and seven twisters touched down in 2018.

In addition to the tornado threat on Thursday, more heavy rain could again lead to flooding. Several inches of rain drenched the region on Tuesday, sparking flooding and causing vehicles to get stuck in flood waters.

“We’re going to see that same risk on Thursday,” Leatham said.

The ground is incredibly wet from all of the recent rain, so flooding can happen after a couple inches of new rain.

“We really want folks to heed the flood warnings,” Leatham said. “You definitely want to make sure you don’t drive through a flooded roadway, and you want to make sure you heed any road closures.”

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for eastern and central Massachusetts, along with the Cape and Islands. The flood watch is from Thursday afternoon through Friday morning.

The potential for up to 4 inches of rain will spark “renewed flooding concerns, particularly in communities who received more than 3 inches of rain on Tuesday,” the National Weather Service wrote in the flood watch.

“You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings,” NWS added. “Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.”