The condition of a 10-year-old girl who was injured Monday in a violent thunderstorm in Lebanon improved on Tuesday.

A spokesman for Maine Medical Center in Portland said Emily Malewitz of Millis, Mass., had been upgraded from critical to serious condition Tuesday night.

The girl, who is a quadruplet, was camping with her family at the Flat Rock Bridge Family Resort when a large tree fell on their campsite during the storm, which witnesses said lasted two minutes.

The storm struck suddenly about 6 p.m. and toppled several large trees. Campers reported seeing “a funnel-like wind” blowing debris, said Jason Cole, Lebanon’s assistant rescue chief.

John Cannon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, went to the campground Tuesday morning. He determined that the storm was not a tornado, but more likely a thunderstorm that produced wind gusts as strong as 60 mph. Hurricane-force winds are 74 mph or higher.

“Everything is pretty much back to normal,” campground owner John Hastings said Tuesday.

Malewitz was initially listed in critical condition after the tree fell on the family’s Toyota van and their tent, which was set up next to the van.

Cole said Malewitz was pinned under the tree for about 10 minutes. He said the girl lost consciousness while the campground staff and guests lifted the tree off her.

The girl’s siblings and parents suffered minor injuries and were treated at Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.H.

John Lamb, a spokesman for Maine Medical Center, said the girl’s parents were not prepared to be interviewed about the incident Tuesday.

Hastings, who has owned the campground for six years, said his staff had to remove six large trees that fell during the storm. No buildings were damaged.

Hastings said television news crews from as far away as Boston arrived Tuesday.

“At this point there is really nothing to see. I’d just like things to get back to normal,” he said.

 

Staff Writer Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at: dhoey@pressherald.com