Weather Service now says a single tornado ripped through 11 towns

By DAVID TIRRELL-WYSOCKI Associated Press 1 hour, 11 minutes ago Concord – The tornado that ripped through New Hampshire on Thursday tore a 40-mile swath through 11 communities, causing a staggering amount of damage, but somehow, a low number of casualties. "The state of New Hampshire dodged a bullet on this one," said National Weather Service Meteorologist John Jensenius, who surveyed the damage. "Some of the areas are just flattened in terms of trees. If there had been houses there, they would have been crushed." At least a half-dozen houses were crushed from Deerfield to Effingham, and one was obliterated in Deerfield, where Brenda Stevens, 57, was killed. At least 200 other homes were damaged and about a dozen people hurt. "Certainly, there was a potential for more loss of life," Jensenius said. After surveying the damage... [read full story]