BRIMFIELD, Mass. - Residents in Central and Western Massachusetts will never forget June 1, 2011 -- the day a deadly tornado touched down.
"This was a milestone in my life, so to speak. A poor one, but still a milestone," said Lester Twarowski, co-owner of Village Green Family Campground in Brimfield.
Twaroski recalls every second, trying to get as many people to seek shelter as possible.
"If you were standing here before the tornado came, you would have been killed by the things flying by and people were still trying to take pictures. I couldn't believe it," he said. "It amazed me how naive people in New England are about tornadoes."
Twarowski said dozens of people were gathered in the cellar under a doorway.
"Everybody was screaming in the cellar and the noise from the tornado drowned out the noise," Twarowski said. "You could not hear a person screaming in your ear. It was that loud and everything shook and within 20 to 30 seconds, it was all over."
The tornado killed one woman, injured hundreds and demolished nearly 100 campers and RVs, leaving the family-owned site completely destroyed.
The next day, loyal campers, friends, family and even complete strangers worked tirelessly to get the family-owned campground cleaned up.
"We had the 'Sturdy 30,' is what we call them. They came to us and said, 'We will help you rebuild. We are staying,'" Twarowski said.
He added that although it's been 10 years since the tornado touched down here at the campground, it's also taken them 10 years to rebuild.
"It was slow and steady, but the last two years with the COVID, we've had the best year (in business) we have ever had," said Twarowski. "Unbelievable."
He hopes by sharing this story of devastation that others will serve as a reminder to duck and take cover during a storm.
"Maybe we save somebody's life. That is what's important," he said.