Massachusetts Governor to Seek Disaster Declaration for Cape Cod Tornado

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker says he’ll seek a federal disaster declaration to support cleanup and recovery efforts on Cape Cod after a tornado and high winds caused extensive damage and knocked out power to tens of thousands.

The Republican on Wednesday toured the area affected by Tuesday’s storms that ripped the roof off a hotel and downed trees and power lines.

Baker says it will take several days to collect information required to trigger federal aid. He said more resources are needed to clean up and restore power.

Utility Eversource reported about 24,000 customers without power as of Wednesday afternoon.

The National Weather Service also said Wednesday that two EF1 tornados with wind speeds of up to 110 mph touched down, one in Barnstable and Yarmouth, another in Harwich.