Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

photo courtesy google images

Tornado hits Suffolk, leaves homes in shreds

By heather templeton

hntempleton@vwc.edu

Heavy rains and strong winds blew through campus Monday afternoon as radios announced a tornado warning for the immediate area. VWC was spared but several students were on edge when they heard the tornados hit too close to home.

Six confirmed tornados were reported to have touched down in Suffolk, Colonial Heights, Brunswick County, Isle of Wight County and Gloucester-Mathews County borders. More than 200 people have been reported injured.

Devastation was the word the news used in reference to Driver County in Suffolk, hometown to senior Chris Dixon and junior Melissa Stevenson.

“It was totally unexpected and very lucky that nobody was killed,” said Stevenson who was unable to return home after the tornado hit.

Her house was spared by the tornadoes but her barn was demolished. She also lost windows, shingles and her deck. Her neighbors, who were not as lucky, lost the front of their pre-civil war era house.

Both Stevenson’s and Dixon’s families were spared in the wrath of the storms. Dixon however, worried when he could not get in touch with his family at the beginning.

“It really bothered me at first,” he said. “I tried to call home but there was no answer and I couldn’t get a hold of my mom. I wasn’t really calm about it until later.”

From what Dixon’s been told there was no damage to his neighborhood but two general stores near by were damaged. One was completely destroyed and the other lost its roof.

“People I’ve talked to are ok but nobody was impacted majorly,” he said. “But watching the news I’ve seen familiar faces going towards Red Cross and I have no way of getting in contact with them.”

The tornado that hit and devastated Driver also ripped through other parts of Suffolk causing, as of press time, $20 billion dollars in property damage and leaving nearly 150 homes uninhabitable. Sentara Obici Hospital was also damaged.

At 6:55pm Gov. Timothy Kaine declared a state of emergency Monday so that the effected areas could be quickly aided.

For Stevenson and Dixon the shock has yet to wear off as they help put their community back together.

“It was just surprising and devastating that something like that can happen because it’s like the quietest little place ever,” said Stevenson. “Nothing ever happens there - no car accidents, no crime, nothing.”