MAJOR TORNADO EVENT ACROSS SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA

APRIL 28, 2008

Video Courtesy of Bob Cox Suffolk, VA

  PHOTOS OF DAMAGE      

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA 833 AM EDT THU MAY 8 2008 ...CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF APRIL 28TH TORNADOES... NOTE: THIS WAS UPDATED ON MAY 8 TO ADD ANOTHER TORNADO THAT OCCURRED IN CAPRON, VA IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY. THE FOLLOWING IS A CURRENT LIST OF TORNADOES THAT TOUCHED DOWN IN THE NWS WAKEFIELD AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY ON THE AFTERNOON OF MONDAY APRIL 28TH. NOTE THAT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL TORNADOES IN THIS LIST...AND ONE TORNADO...THE GLOUCESTER/MATHEWS TORNADO...WAS ORIGINALLY LISTED AS 2 SEPARATE TORNADOES. UPON FURTHER REVIEW OF THE DAMAGE PHOTOS AND RADAR IMAGERY...IT WAS DECIDED THIS WAS A SINGLE TORNADO. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THOSE WHO SUPPORTED OUR STORM SURVEY EFFORTS OVER THE LAST 3 DAYS. THESE INCLUDE EMERGENCY MANAGERS IN THE AFFECTED AREAS...911 CENTER COMMUNICATIONS PERSONNEL...MEDIA REPORTS...SKYWARN SPOTTERS AND LOCAL RESIDENTS. IN ADDITION...WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT...AND THE CIVIL AIR PATROL FOR MAKING THE AERIAL SURVEY ON TUESDAY POSSIBLE. ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS BRIEF SUMMARY. 1). BRUNSWICK/GREENSVILLE TORNADO - EF-1 - PATH LENGTH APPROXIMATELY 16 MILES - PATH WIDTH AS WIDE AS 300 YARDS. NO INJURIES REPORTED. AT 248 PM...A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR IRON BRIDGE ROAD /SOUTH OF LAWRENCEVILLE/...THEN CONTINUED NORTHEAST ACROSS MILAS DR...WESTERN MILL ROAD...BELFIELD ROAD TO BIG HORN ROAD. NUMEROUS TREES WERE UPROOTED AND SNAPPED OFF. ONE MOBILE HOME WAS DESTROYED...SIDING AND SECTIONS OF ROOF RIPPED OFF CARPORTS AND DAMAGE TO SIDING AND ROOFS OF A FEW HOUSES. NUMEROUS TREES WERE UPROOTED AND TWISTED AS THE TORNADO CONTINUED OVER RURAL LAND. TORNADIC DAMAGE CONTINUED INTO GREENSVILLE COUNTY...WITH TREES KNOCKED DOWN AND SNAPPED ALONG DOODLUM ROAD...JUST NORTH OF THE CITY OF PURDY. ESTIMATED TORNADO WIDTH WAS 200 TO 300 YARDS AND OVERALL PATH LENGTH WAS CALCULATED AT 16 MILES. DAMAGE WAS RATED AS EF-1. 2). COLONIAL HEIGHTS/PRINCE GEORGE TORNADO - EF-1 - PATH LENGTH APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE - PATH WIDTH 75-80 YARDS. 21 INJURIES REPORTED. AT 340 PM...A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AND MOVED ALONG AN APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF MILE...75-80 YARD WIDTH PATH FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. AS INDICATED FROM THE DAMAGE...THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN SPOTS BEGINNING NEAR THE END OF THE FOOTBALL FIELD NEAR COLONIAL HEIGHTS MIDDLE SCHOOL...ACROSS INTERSTATE 95...AND INTO THE DIMMOCK SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER. THE FIRST OF THE DAMAGE WAS TO A FOOTBALL FIELD CLUBHOUSE AS A PART OF THE ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF. THE STORM THEN LIFTED ACROSS AN AREA OF HOMES AND TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN JUST WEST OF THE INTERSTATE AND TEARING A PATH THROUGH THE ROOF OF THE MEDALLION POOLS BUILDING. TWISTED METAL WAS STREWN ACROSS THE PARKING LOT WITH A FEW CARS DAMAGED FROM THE FLYING DEBRIS. THE TORNADO LIFTED AGAIN ACROSS I-95 SCATTERING DEBRIS ACROSS THE SOUTHGATE SQUARE PARKING LOT INCLUDING A HALF-TON AIR CONDITIONING UNIT BLOWN APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS AND DEPOSITED IN FRONT OF THE HELZBERG DIAMONDS BUSINESS NEAR SOUTH PARK BOULEVARD. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED WITH THE FINAL TOUCHDOWN IN THE DIMMOCK SQUARE STRIP MALL. A STRING OF 4 STORES AROUND 75-80 YARDS IN WIDTH HAD CEILING TILES BLOWN OUT, ROOF PEELED OFF AND WINDOWS BLOWN OUT. SEVERAL CARS WERE DAMAGED...AS SOME HAD WINDOWS SHATTERED FROM FLYING DEBRIS. OTHER VEHICLES WERE FLIPPED AND TOSSED ABOUT IN PILES. THE STORM APPEARED TO LIFT AGAIN BUT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO A BANK AND LIGHT POLES BLOWN DOWN IN A CAR LOT APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 100 YARDS EAST OF DIMMOCK SQUARE. CARS WERE ALSO DAMAGED HERE FROM THE FLYING DEBRIS. THE TORNADO THEN LIFTED AND CROSSED TEMPLE AVENUE AND THEN TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY NEAR FLEXON DRIVE...FINE DRIVE AND PUDDLEDUCK DRIVE. SEVERAL TREES WERE UPROOTED...A FEW WERE SNAPPED OFF...AND SEVERAL HOMES WERE DAMAGED. DAMAGE WAS RATED EF-1. 3). BRYANTS CORNER /GREENSVILLE COUNTY/ TORNADO - EF-1 - PATH LENGTH APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES - PATH WIDTH 40 TO 50 YARDS. NO INJURIES REPORTED. AT 350 PM...A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN THE LOW GROUND ROAD AREA OF THE SOUTHEAST PART OF GREENSVILLE COUNTY. NUMEROUS TREES DOWN OR SNAPPED OFF...AND A COUPLE OF OUTBUILDINGS DAMAGED. DAMAGE RATED EF-1. 4). SUFFOLK TO NORFOLK NAVAL AIR STATION TORNADO - STRONG EF-3 - PATH LENGTH APPROXIMATELY 22 MILES - PATH WIDTH AS WIDE AS 1/4 MILE. APPROXIMATELY 200 INJURIES REPORTED. AROUND 405 PM...A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN WITH DAMAGE FIRST NOTED ABOUT 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF LUMMIS. THE TORNADO CROSSED ROUTE 58...DOWNING TREES AS IT MOVED NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH. THE TORNADO STRENGTHENED JUST SOUTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF ROUTE 10 AND ROUTE 58...WHERE IT DAMAGED SEVERAL HOMES AND AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL..AS WELL AS DOWNING NUMEROUS TREES. THE NOW INTENSE TORNADO CROSSED ROUTE 58 AGAIN...AND THEN ROUTE 10 BEFORE...HITTING THE FREEDOM PLAZA SHOPPING CENTER...WHERE IT DESTROYED A STRIP MALL...AND TOSSED AROUND NUMEROUS CARS. ONE CAR WAS IMPALED INTO A BUILDING ADJACENT TO THE STRIP MALL. THEREAFTER...THE TORNADO MOVED INTO 2 SUBDIVISION EAST AND NORTHEAST OF OBICI HOSPITAL. MANY HOMES WERE DAMAGED...WITH AT LEAST A DOZEN COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE TORNADO THEN CONTINUED INTO DRIVER WHERE IT DAMAGED A NUMBER OF HOMES AND BUSINESSES...AND DOWNED NUMEROUS TREES. THE TORNADO THEN APPEARED TO LIFT JUST NORTH OR DRIVER...ALTHOUGH AMATEUR VIDEO AND PICTURES SUGGEST THAT THE TORNADO MAINTAINED CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AS IT TRACKED NORTHEAST TO THE NORFOLK NAVAL AIR STATION...WHERE VEHICLES AND A BUILDING WERE DAMAGED AT PIER 2...AND NUMEROUS TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN OR SNAPPED OFF. THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE PORTION OF THIS TORNADO HAD A PATH LENGTH OF ABOUT 10 MILES...A PATH WIDTH AS WIDE AS ONE QUARTER MILE...AND WAS ON THE GROUND FOR AROUND 20 MINUTES...BEFORE LIFTING JUST NORTH OF DRIVER. THE PRELIMINARY RATING OF THIS TORNADO...PENDING FURTHER ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGE PHOTOS AND VIDEO...IS A STRONG EF-3. 5) CAPRON VIRGINIA IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY - EF0 - PATH LENGTH 1/4 MILE - PATH WIDTH 30 YARDS - NO INJURIES REPORTED. AT 410 PM...THERE WAS A BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN ABOUT A HALF MILE EAST OF CAPRON OFF HIGHWAY 58 NEAR DOUGLAS DRIVE. SEVERAL TREES WERE DOWNED OR SNAPPED OFF. DAMAGE WAS RATED AS EF-0. 6). CLAREMONT /SURRY COUNTY/ TORNADO - EF-1 - PATH LENGTH 1/4 MILE - PATH WIDTH 30 YARDS - NO INJURIES REPORTED. AT 418 PM...THE SAME STORM WHICH PRODUCED THE BRUNSWICK/GREENSVILLE TORNADO PRODUCED ANOTHER BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN IN NORTHWEST SURRY COUNTY NEAR CLAREMONT. A DOUBLE WIDE HOME DESTROYED. NUMEROUS TREES DOWN OR SNAPPED OFF. DAMAGE WAS RATED AS EF-1. 7). JAMES CITY COUNTY TORNADO - EF-0 - PATH LENGTH 1/2 MILE - PATH WIDTH 50 YARDS. NO INJURIES REPORTED. AT 440 PM...THE STORM WHICH PRODUCED THE CLAREMONT TORNADO PRODUCED ANOTHER BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN IN JAMES CITY COUNTY...ABOUT 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF JAMESTOWN. SEVERAL TREES WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED OFF...AND THERE WAS SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO HOMES IN THE AREA. DAMAGE WAS RATED AT EF-0. 8). CARRSVILLE /ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY/ - EF-1 - PATH LENGTH 3 MILES - PATH WIDTH 50 YARDS. NO INJURIES REPORTED. AT 445 PM...A TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR CARRSVILLE IN SOUTHERN ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY. THE TORNADO DAMAGED ELEVEN HOMES AND SIX AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS ALONG HARVEST DRIVE AND ELEYS LANE. 9). BOHANNON /MATHEWS COUNTY/ TORNADO - EF-1 - PATH LENGTH 1/4 MILE - PATH WIDTH 50 YARDS. NO INJURIES REPORTED. AT 445 PM...A BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN TOOK THE ROOF OFF A HOME...OVERTURNED A BOAT AND A VEHICLE...AND DOWNED SEVERAL TREES JUST SOUTHWEST OF BOHANNON ON NORTH RIVER ROAD NEAR CAKES CREEK. DAMAGE RATED EF-1. 10). GLOUCESTER/MATHEWS TORNADO - EF-0 - PATH LENGTH 11 MILES - PATH WIDTH 50 YARDS. NO INJURIES REPORTED. AT 455 PM...THE SAME STORM WHICH PRODUCED THE JAMES CITY COUNTY TORNADO PRODUCED YET ANOTHER TORNADO. THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AND PRODUCED INTERMITTENT DAMAGE ALONG AN 11 MILE PATH FROM NEAR BELROI NORTHEAST TO ABOUT 1 MILE WEST OF NORTH IN MATHEWS COUNTY. NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED OR SNAPPED OFF...A BARN WAS DE-ROOFED AND A SHED DESTROYED...AND PART OF A CONVENIENCE STORE ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF. DAMAGE RATED AT EF-0. NOTE...THIS TORNADO HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN DESCRIBED AND LISTED AS 2 TORNADOES. FURTHER REVIEW OF THE DAMAGE PHOTOS AND RADAR DATA SUGGESTS THAT THIS WAS A SINGLE TORNADO. $$ SAMMLER/CURRY/JACKSON/LYNCH/GINGRICH/WAMSLEY/FLECHTNER/SIEBERS NWS WAKEFIELD