National Weather Service: Tornado struck Oceanfront
By Elisabeth Hulette and Kathy Adams, The Virginian-Pilot | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The EF-0 tornado struck the area between
Straight-line winds ripped through nearby areas as well, at 60-70 miles per hour, Brown said. Several eyewitnesses had said Thursday evening they saw a funnel cloud.
Six people were taken to the hospital Thursday due to injuries sustained during the storm. One person was listed in fair condition as of Friday afternoon, according to Dale Gauding, a spokesman for
Residents and workers at the Oceanfront this morning assessed the damage and shared stories of where they were when it struck.
On
At
The church sustained water damage where the steeple hit the roof on its way down. This morning, roofers covered the roof with tarps.
The storm also ripped out fencing and left the church's parking lot covered in tree branches, fence and debris.
Interim pastor
"The community has been wonderful. ... We've appreciated the friendliness of the neighborhood," he said.
Spear said the church is moving forward and will still hold Sunday services as planned.
A damage survey conducted by the
About
An EF-0 tornado touched down at
The tornado was on the ground for roughly a minute and traveled 0.35 miles, according to the
The third weather event, caused by straight-line downburst winds, brought down trees about
City work crews armed with brooms and shovels were busy cleaning up from the storm Thursday night into Friday afternoon, said Public Works spokesman
By noon today,
The storm misplaced trash cans at the Oceanfront, which had to be put back, and downed power lines, which
As of
Preparations for Hurricane Arthur last week worked in the city's advantage, he added. In anticipation of flooding from that storm, crews had cleared ditches and stormwater drainage pipes, which allowed Thursday's surge to recede quickly, Lankford said.
"With the sudden onrush of water yesterday, it receded pretty quickly," he said. "And a lot of that I think had to do with last week's preparations."
Most of the heavy damage was centered at the Oceanfront, with no other reports of serious problems elsewhere in the city, Lankford said. The city's
At Star of the
"She's a tough little school hanging in here at the Oceanfront," she said.
Several children were just finishing up a dance class inside the school when the storm hit. The wind was strong enough to suck the school's doors open, and the students were moved into the hall to duck and cover.
Two women employed by the church to manage a parking booth during the summer were inside the parking shed when it lifted off the ground and crashed into
The two women were able to walk to the front of the school, and Whisman flagged down an emergency responder on
"It's a miracle that they're alive," Whisman said.
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Check back later with PilotOnline.com for further updates.
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