[3][4][5][6] On May 30, two days before the outbreak, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) noted the possibility of a severe weather event in the Northeastern United States in their outlook.

A storm system was forecast to draw warm, moist air (with dew points over 60 °F (16 °C)) from the south, ahead of a driving cold front.

[7] As an upper-level trough moved over the Great Lakes, further moisture and warmth increased atmospheric instability in the area, raising the threat of a squall line or supercell thunderstorms.

[9] An EML, which emerged over Arizona on May 28, was also present and created abnormally steep lapse rates in the mid-levels of the atmosphere, further increasing instability.

[11] At 10:05 a.m., the SPC issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the entire state of Vermont, much of northern New York, northeastern Pennsylvania and parts of western Massachusetts and Connecticut.

[15] Between 3:00 and 3:30 p.m., severe storms developed over western Massachusetts and prompted a tornado warning to be issued at 3:28 p.m. for parts of Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin Counties.

The tornado proved to be unusually persistent, remaining on the ground for one hour and ten minutes along a path 37.6 miles (60.5 km) long, the second longest on record in Massachusetts.

[42] Based on a post-storm survey by the National Weather Service, the tornado attained maximum estimated winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) as it moved into Springfield, ranking it as a high-end EF3.

However, 3 homes suffered extensive damage, including a house on Shaker Road which was ultimately condemned due to a tree piercing through the roof.

The tornado removed a 20-foot section of roofing from the school and moved it several hundred feet away, dumping it in a swimming pool at a nearby home on Cardinal Lane.

[48] The tornado rapidly intensified as it moved into the City of West Springfield, causing extensive damage to industrial buildings and tearing off roofs and the upper floors of three-story apartment complexes.

[51][52] Another fatality took place on Main Street when a 5 foot (1.5 m) wide oak tree fell on a vehicle, killing the driver, 23-year old Sergey Livchin.

Multiple people narrowly avoided injury as the tornado sent broken glass flying from windows at the Hampden District Attorney office.

[66] The South End Community Center (located in the Howard Street Armory) sustained extensive damage; a large section of the roof was torn off by the tornado.

[72] The school was not demolished as a result of the damage; it sat derelict and vacant until a private developer eventually purchased it from the city in June 2018, with the intention of renovating the building and converting it into affordable housing.

Homes were destroyed (some were lifted off their foundations), cars were overturned, and access to and from the neighborhood was blocked for days due to downed trees and power lines.

[94] The tornado then passed through Rice Nature Preserve and the Sunrise Peak Conservation Area, as it began to climb Minnechaug Mountain, heading east towards Monson.

[109] Her boyfriend was critically injured; they both declined to vacate when the owners of the campground warned them of the approaching tornado and encouraged them to seek shelter.

[115] A bank statement which was displaced by the tornado was found in a Boston 25 News parking lot in Dedham, roughly 53 miles (85 km) away from Brimfield.

The tornado moved to the south of Fiskdale and struck the town of Sturbridge, where thousands of trees were downed and multiple homes were damaged.

The tornado passed through Old Sturbridge Village, a living history museum consisting of 240 acres (97 hectares) of land and 59 antique buildings.

[117][118] Damage at Old Sturbridge Village was mostly limited to trees and power lines in the forested southern section of the museum grounds, furthest from the buildings and exhibits.

[127] On Main Street (Route 131), Sturbridge Auto Body was struck directly by the tornado, collapsing the cinder block structure and destroying 106 cars.

Upon entering Southbridge, the tornado crossed through the McKinstry Brook wildlife management area, deforesting approximately 50 acres (20.2 hectares) of land.

A Special Emergency Response Team was activated by the state police in order to search for missing people and those trapped underneath debris.

[147][148] Governor Deval Patrick also declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts, and activated 1,000 National Guard troops for rescue and recovery efforts.

[152] Within two days of the tornadoes, the process of demolishing "structures beyond repair" began as local officials inspected hundreds of damaged homes.

[155] On June 15, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared Hampden and Worcester Counties as major disaster areas, allowing for government aid to be distributed to affected residents.

[158] In addition to assistance from MassDOT and waiving of license replacement fees in June by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, Massport donated $300,000 in unused construction supplies from the Boston Logan Residential Soundproofing Program.

Flood conditions did not subside until after July, causing numerous scheduled events at Old Sturbridge Village to be canceled, including an Independence Day fireworks celebration.