Tornado confirmed in NH

(Deerfield, NH) -- Officials confirmed Friday that a tornado struck neighboring Deerfield, where a grandmother died when her house collapsed on her Thursday.

Officials said Brenda Stevens, 57, and her 3-month-old grandson were both trapped between the collapsed home's first and second stories, but the infant was protected by being in a void.

Watch video of Friday's recovery efforts from WBZ's Carl Stevens.

Deerfield Fire Chief Mark Tibbetts said her husband Harley had headed downstairs a little before noon Thursday because he was worried by the heavy black clouds rolling in.

"No more than he got downstairs and it started throwing him from side to side and rotating him around the house," Tibbetts. Stevens then "was blown out the side of the building and found in the side yard," state Fire Marshal William Degnan said.

Brenda Stevens was pronounced dead at the scene, but the infant's cries led firefighters to him in the rubble. The infant was admitted to Concord Hospital, but a spokesman said no information would be released at the family's request. The child's name has not been released.

The National Weather Service on Friday confirmed witnesses' reports that a tornado struck Deerfield. Officials said the tornado and severe thunderstorms left an intermittent path of destruction stretching about 20 miles northeast from Epsom to New Durham.

Officials estimate that a half-dozen homes were destroyed and many more seriously damaged. In areas including near the Stevens' home, the storms snapped off thick trees, toppling many onto homes. Thousands remained without power, though utility crews were whittling down the number.

The Stevenses lived on Northwood Lake, which is bounded by Northwood, Deerfield and Epsom.

Concord Hospital said Stevens was released after being checked out at the emergency room Thursday afternoon.

He did not respond to efforts to reach him through neighbors.

Neighbors say the couple had been watching the boy while his parents, Harley Stevens' son and his wife, were at work.

Gov. John Lynch went town to town Friday with police, fire and other emergency officials after getting a look from a helicopter Thursday afternoon.

"From the air you see the destruction and the hundreds and thousands of trees that were down," Lynch said Friday. "It's amazing there were not more injuries."

Roads and highways were lined with utility trucks and the air was filled with the roar of chain saws, wood chippers and generators. Cranes lifted fallen trees off homes and cars.

The Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency had teams out.

In Barnstead, which also saw widespread damage, a resident was injured Friday morning while clearing debris. Deputy Fire Chief Shawn Mulcahy said the man was knocked out when a falling tree limb hit him in the head.

Mulcahy said there are at least 200 contractors, including utility and tree service crews, cleaning up in town, plus 400 to 800 private citizens.

WBZ's Ed Walsh spoke with New Hampshire Governor John Lynch. 

Barnstead, New Hampshire, resident Carey Pellens describes Thursday's storm for WBZ's Deb Lawler.




Karen Dapkus took shelter inside her home, also on Merrymeeting Lake in New Durham, after a friend called with a report that a tornado was headed her way.

"We're right on the water. Our canopy (over her boat) was uprooted. The dock raised right up. You could see the legs of the dock," she said.

"It was really scary."