As many as 100 homes damaged by tornado in Virginia Beach, officials say
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on May 1, 2023
(NEW YORK) — Between 50 and 100 homes have been damaged by a tornado in Virginia Beach, according to officials.
The tornado struck Virginia Beach just before 6 p.m. on Sunday as severe storms moved through much of the East Coast, according to the National Weather Service.
The twister touched down near River Road and North Great Neck Road, according to the City of Virginia Beach. Several nearby schools and roads are closed as a result.
Virginia Beach resident Jennifer Toppel told ABC News the tornado formed right above her home.
“We heard the roar and we quickly took cover, hiding in our pantry,” Toppel said. “We could actually see snapped pine trees and debris flying 100 feet in the air.”
As Toppel and her family took cover, Toppel’s husband left the pantry to grab their dog and saw the tornado touch down in Lynnhaven River.
Sunday’s tornado may be the strongest since an EF2 hit the area on March 31, 2017, records show. The National Weather Service will conduct a survey on Monday.
Virginia Beach City Manager Patrick Duhaney declared a local state of emergency Sunday night. There have been no reports of any injuries or fatalities as a result of the storm, city officials said.
Tornado warnings led to the cancellation of the third day of the Something in the Water music festival.
Tornado activity has been affecting much of the Southeast in the past week. Seven tornadoes were reported in Florida and Georgia on Thursday, and more tornadoes rolled through Florida’s Atlantic coast on Saturday — including a confirmed twister in Palm Beach.
The same storm system that allowed a tornado to form in Virginia Beach brought flooding conditions to the Northeast on Monday morning. Flash flood warnings were in effect in Maine, where up to 4 inches of rain have already fallen, with another 1 to 2 inches possible through Monday, forecasts show.
Some flooding in the region has caused road closures with the potential for more road washouts.
Flood warnings are also in effect in New Hampshire and parts of New Jersey.
ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke, Lauren Minore and Helena Skinner contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
