The twister churned the cemetery grounds, mixing earth and mighty trees and bending grave markers perpendicular to the souls interred beneath.

The spinning winds struck Johnston where the town buries its dead and the neighborhoods where residents live their lives.

Many massive trees fell throughout town — on cars, homes and graves. The wind knocked down old growth behemoths, soggy earth clinging to their giant root balls. The tornadoes sheared whole patches of woodland.

“I am grateful to report that despite significant damage caused by the tornado in multiple communities, there were no serious injuries or loss of life reported,” reports Johnston Police Chief Mark A. Vieira. “I applaud our residents, who heeded severe weather warnings and showed the strength of the Johnston community in the face of adversity. We were very fortunate that most of the damage sustained in town only consisted of downed trees, branches, and power lines.”

115 mph winds

The Friday, Aug. 18 storm drew the attention of meteorologists across the nation.

Following the path of debris, weather-trackers have assessed the “hop-scotching” tornadoes struck in several Ocean State communities, leaving a trail of toppled trees, tangled wires and shaken residents from Scituate, Johnston and North Providence.

A Tornado Warning blew up the cell phones of most residents in surrounding towns at 8:35 a.m.

An hour later, a path of fallen trees and wreckage could be traced from Scituate, into Johnston, crossing through the Central Avenue and Peck Road region, bouncing across I-295 and into Highland Memorial Park Cemetery where it caused severe damage, upturning trees and twisting flat tombstones.

“The tornado initially touched down in Scituate as an EF-2 tornado in the area of Byron Randall Road where the most severe damage occurred,” said Vieira, who also serves as Johnston’s Emergency Management Director. “The damage was consistent with winds around 115 mph. The tornado then hopscotched into Johnston heading in a north-easterly direction toward Central Avenue. The area of Central Avenue and Apple Tree Lane had trees that were snapped, one of which fell onto a home on Apple Tree Lane.”

Tailgating Twister

Dashcam footage from a passing motorist caught a twister crossing Interstate 295. Police and fire crews responded to the scene where a woman said the passing funnel cloud picked up her car and spun it around.

“The tornado was positioned just northeast of Central Avenue before crossing Route 295 in the area of Exit 10 where a Dodge sedan was lifted into the air before being dropped back onto the highway,” Vieira recalled Monday morning, recapping the town’s response to the storm. “Fortunately, the driver sustained only minor injuries. The tornado then continued its path in a north-easterly direction through the area of Bridle Way and Carriage Way, which is just east of Pine Hill Avenue, where a number of trees were snapped or uprooted, some of which fell onto homes or vehicles.”

The winds blew down Rhode Island Avenue, across George Waterman road, leveling trees and tossing a boat on Amber Street, before heading into North Providence.

“Since it hit the entire Town we are focusing on incoming requests from constituents and anything the first responders (police, fire) see while they are out assessing the damage,” Johnston Mayor Joseph M. Polisena Jr. reported on Friday immediately after the storm. “All DPW crews are currently on the road.”

Take Cover

About a half-dozen cemetery workers took cover as the storm cut a wide swath through Highland Memorial Park, the town’s 150-acre burial ground.

Joe Swift, president of the Highland Memorial Cemetery and president of the Johnston Lions Club, (and past president and current treasurer of the New England Cemetery Association), wept when he visited Friday.

“The tornado went over about 20 acres of the cemetery,” Swift said several days into storm clean-up. “We don’t have an exact count, but the tornado destroyed in excess of 100 trees. These trees were between 40 and 100 years old unfortunately. And unfortunately it doesn’t fall under insurance.”

The cemetery has hired North Eastern Tree Service to help clear the fallen.

“We’re paying three crews $2,100 an hour for tree removal and clearing,” Swift said.

The cherry blossom trees are gone. Oaks. Pines. Walnut. About a quarter of the cemetery has been flattened.

“I’ve been in the industry 47 years, and took over Highland Cemetery 27 years ago,” Swift said. “I come from the south and I’ve never seen devastation like this from a tornado. I’m absolutely shocked. It’s going to take us years to recuperate.”

Widespread Damage

“Some homes also lost some shingles from their roofs,” Vieira said. “The tornado continued causing damage to the area of Highland Memorial Park Cemetery, Rhode Island Avenue, and George Waterman Road where a number of large trees were either snapped or uprooted. The damage observed in Johnston was consistent with winds of 90 to 100 mph, which is classified as an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.”

An hour after the tornado passed, mourners lined up outside the chapel, behind a vintage white hearse. There were still services scheduled at the cemetery, tornado or not. And as the sun crept through the thick white cloud cover, a flock of Canada geese landed amid the cemetery’s scattered synthetic flowers and piles of broken wood — the calm after the storm.

Joe Carreau stood at the entrance of the cemetery. He helps guide processions in and out of Highland Memorial Park. Friday morning was a strange day, full of post-twister visits by curious residents and worried loved ones of those buried there previously.

“I can confirm a tornado touched down on 295 in the area of Greenville (Avenue),” according to an email from Polisena later Friday morning. “We also have extensive damage near Peck Hill (Road). On the western portion of Johnston and also extensive damage along George Waterman (Road) on the northeastern portion of Johnston.”

No Injuries

The loss of property and mature trees was palpable, but human casualties were minimal.

“Damage includes power lines, property damage, downed trees,” according to Polisena. “Thankfully we have had no reports of injuries.”