Global Courant 2023-05-01 09:08:48
Dozens of homes were damaged, trees were downed and more than 2,000 utility customers were without power for a short time Sunday evening after a tornado hit Virginia Beach, Virginia, officials said.
“Remarkably, no injuries have been reported so far,” the city said in a statement.
The vortex hit the Fort Story area along the Virginia Beach coastline shortly before 6 p.m., said National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Montefusco.
The tornado made a clear signature in radar and other data analyzed by the weather service, he said, but its strength would not be known for hours. That usually involves having weather experts on site, where they can see the path of destruction.
In a statement late tonight, the city of Virginia Beach said it estimates 50 to 100 homes were damaged. According to the statement, there was a local state of emergency and city crews would fan out Monday morning to clear the debris.
A recreation center was converted into an “impact center” that can be used as a shelter for those whose homes may have been left uninhabitable, the city said.
The Virginia Beach Fire Department said some homes had gas leaks in the aftermath of the tornado.
The city previously said fallen trees hit at least one home and one vehicle. Utility Dominion Energy said 2,635 customers were in darkness at 8 p.m., but power was restored to nearly all of those energy consumers shortly before midnight, according to the outage map.
The tornado area was under a National Weather Service tornado warning at the time it struck.
The city and organizers canceled the third day of the Something in the Water music festival on the beach earlier Sunday, citing weather concerns.
“It was determined with great confidence that tonight’s severe weather warnings would affect the safety of all festival sites throughout this evening,” the city said in a statement.
Sarah Kaufman and Bryan Gallion contributed.
