Monday April 28, 2008

SUFFOLK, Va. (AP) - 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.

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.

Russ McCrocklin was at work in Virginia Beach when the storm hit
and it took him 4½ hours to make the usual 45-minute drive home to
Suffolk. He met his wife at King's Fork High School, where about 65
people took shelter for the night. Many of them watched coverage of
the storms on television as volunteers set up cots in the
gymnasium.

McCrocklin wasn't able to go to his home, located in one of the
hardest hit neighborhoods.

"I don't have any idea what it's like," he said. "For all I
know, it could be totally destroyed."

He went through a similar experience a few years ago when
Hurricane Ivan rolled through Florida. When he returned home the
next day, his house was fine.

"This time I might not be so lucky," McCrocklin said.

Keith Godwin lives in the same neighborhood. He, his wife and
two kids took shelter in the bathroom of their home after he saw
the funnel cloud from his window.

The Godwins' home is fine except for some debris, as are the
others on their side of the street. Those across the street were
badly damaged, including two houses completely wiped off their
foundations and one that was tossed on top of another home.

"All that's left is a concrete slab," Godwin said.

Republican Del. Chris Jones, a former Suffolk mayor, said area
residents stopped by the high school throughout the night to donate
bottled water, toothpaste, deodorant and other needed items.

"It could have been much worse," Jones said. "It's been
amazing the people who have come out to help tonight."

Sentara hospital spokesman Dale Gauding said about 70 injured
people were being treated there. Three were admitted and were in
fair condition.

"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 5,500 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.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)