Tornadoes in Virginia (Monday, April 28)

Tornadoes Injure Hundreds in Virginia
By SONJA BARISIC,AP
Posted: 2008-04-29 06:04:13
Filed Under: Nation News
SUFFOLK, Va. (April 29) - Three tornadoes ripped through Virginia on Monday, with one hop-scotching across the southeastern part of the state and leaving behind a 25-mile trail of gutted homes, tossed cars and more than 200 injured residents.


Photo Gallery
Steve Earley, The Virginian-Pilot / AP 'It Sounded
Like a Train'1 of 5 More than 200 people were injured Monday as three tornadoes swept through central and southeastern Virginia. Above, residents of the Burnett's Mill neighborhood in Suffolk, Va., survey the damage caused by the storms. "Multiple buildings have been destroyed, homes have been destroyed," a city spokesperson said.

Residents of some of the hardest hit neighborhoods in this town outside Norfolk were forced to evacuate their homes, with buses taking them to nearby shelters. Police closed roads, steering people away from streets with downed power lines.

Downed trees and power lines covered the streets in a section of the city. A vending machine was tilted on its side, leaning up against a pile of rubble that had been the general store in a small shopping district.

"It's just a bunch of broken power poles, telephone lines and sad faces," said Richard Allbright, who works for a tree removal service in Driver and had been out for hours trying to clear the roads.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine declared a state of emergency for the areas of southeastern Virginia struck by the twisters.

The National Weather Service confirmed that tornadoes struck Suffolk, Colonial Heights and Brunswick County. Meteorologist Bryan Jackson described Suffolk's as a "major tornado."

Jackson said the Brunswick County tornado was estimated at 86 mph to 110 mph, and cut a 300-yard path of destruction.

The first tornado touched down around 1 p.m. in Brunswick County, said Mike Rusnak, a weather service meteorologist in Wakefield. The second struck Colonial Heights around 3:40 p.m., he said.

The third touched down multiple times, between 4:30 to 5 p.m., and is believed to have caused damage over a 25-mile path from Suffolk to Norfolk, Rusnak said.

At least 200 were injured in Suffolk and 18 others were injured in Colonial Heights, south of Richmond, said Bob Spieldenner from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

In Colonial Heights, the storm overturned cars and damaged buildings in the Southpark Mall area.

Suffolk city spokeswoman Dana Woodson said the area around Sentara Obici Hospital and in the community of Driver, located within the city, were hardest hit. The hospital was damaged but still able to treat patients.

Insulation, wiring and twisted metal hung from the front of a strip mall in Suffolk that was stripped bare of its facing. Cars and SUVs in the parking lot outside lay strewn about, some lying on top of others.

Several of Gregory A. Parker's businesses and his pre-Civil War-era home in Driver were damaged in the tornado.

The porch was blown off his Arthur's General Store. At another store he owns, the tin roof was rolled up like a sardine can. The facade of his home collapsed and the windows were blown out. Inside, furniture was tossed about.

"I hate to say it sounded like a train, but that's the truth," Parker said.

His wife, Ellise, rode out the storm in the first-floor bathroom of an antique store. The building lost its second story. His brother, Craig S. Parker, owns the general store that sells hunting and fishing supplies.

Parker is spending the night with his sister, who lives nearby.

"I don't even think a leaf blew off at her house. That's how tornadoes are," he said.

Sentara hospital spokesman Dale Gauding said about 60 injured people were being treated there, and he expected most to be released.

"We have lots of cuts and bruises" and arm and leg injuries, he said. The hospital's windows were cracked, apparently by debris from a damaged shopping center across the street.

Southside Regional Medical Center treated one storm victim with minor injuries and was poised to receive more, hospital spokeswoman Terry Tysinger said.

Property damage also was reported in Brunswick County, one of several localities where the weather service had issued a tornado warning. Sgt. Michelle Cotten of the Virginia State Police said a twister destroyed two homes. Trees and power lines were down, and some flooding was reported.

About 6,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers remained without service Monday night, mostly in the Northern Neck.

Laura Southard, a state emergency management spokeswoman, said the damage assessment will be done Tuesday.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• tornado
• tornadoes
• virginia
• april
• 28
• 2008
• monday

[lyk2bloved]

I cannot believe how stupid this chic is... People lost all they had and some seriously injured and all she can do is laugh..Too bad it didnt change direction. that might would have shut her up!!



[atadsatirical]

@jessicaraburn mate, they're frikin high off their faces

[StudioAnnur337]

For anyone wondering- this is NOT the Suffolk, VA tornado. This is a couple of prissies watching a tornado on TV and filming the TV while giggling. There is NOWHERE in Virginia, especially eastern Virginia that looks remotely like that, land wise. Suffolk is a low-lying, flat, swampy, thickly forested area; nothing like the high, rolling, northern prairies shown in this video. This is a video of a tornado in Manitoba several years back.

[11254cdk]

@deserttroop Suffolk, Va.

[MrGarizz]

your lauging i lost my house you hore

[MrHerbert694]

What the fuck are those pole lickers laughing about even if that funnel was in Canada or were ever that Shit would turn their vaginas inside out or is that the size they are used to!!!

[manwithmachine]

dumb fucks, the audio is to something else.

[ScremoSkullz]

This Tornado was in Manitoba, Canada. It's disgusting how you, shan't I say, "Honor" those people who lost almost everything by copying the video and claiming it to be in Norfolk. You should be ashamed, you ignorant fool.

[StLouisStormSpotter]

This isn't even the original video and this tornado didn't happen in Virginia. You stole this video dumb ass.

[noisebomb44]

dont use drugs

[Keroro9864]

Concidering that I LIVE In VA

[BrokenAeroVT]

@JustComments90 Some people deal with their fear by laughter. Some just smoke dope and laugh at anything. Whatever the cause, there is no evidence she was laughing at people suffering, that much is common sense.