Tornado hits Boston suburb of Revere

BOSTON, July 28 (UPI) —

A tornado ripped through the Massachusetts town of Revere just north of Boston Monday, causing widespread damage and flooding.

A series of severe thunderstorms across the Boston area caused the unexpected tornado. Officials reported uprooted trees, downed power lines, destruction of roofs, and severe flooding in the streets. No injuries have been reported, a fact Mayor Dan Rizzo called a "miracle" taking into account the size of the storm. He added that no one could remember a tornado hitting the area before.

Rizzo said the city is focused on clearing live wires and removing fallen trees. A shelter has been set up at a local middle school for anyone who needs it.

"Again, this is going to be a little bit of a process as we try to dig ourselves out of this," said Rizzo.

The Boston Globe reports law enforcement officials have advised people to avoid Revere altogether as emergency services work to clear the streets and respond to multiple gas leaks.

"The whole house shook. If it wasn’t a tornado, it was the next worst thing. To uplift so many trees like this, it’s unbelievable," said Jose Quintana.

The National Weather Service has confirmed the damage was indeed caused by a tornado.