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When a large tornado does major damage, it often leaves a scar in the Earth that can be visible from space even when there's snow on the ground.

The image at the top of this page was taken this week by a NASA satellite that was flying over New England. It shows a scar left by a tornado that hit Springfield, Massachusetts, the summer of 2011.

The tornado hit downtown Springfield on June 1, 2011, before moving east. Three people were killed by the EF3 tornado.

(MORE: Bostonians Really Need to Stop Doing THIS)

Tornado scars can linger for many years. In southern Wisconsin, an EF3 tornado hit wooded areas eight years ago and left a scar that's still visible from space. The scar, like the one still visible near Springfield, is most pronounced after a heavy snowfall.

The EF5 tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma, in May 2013 left a scar that was documented from space, due to the amount of damage it caused.

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