VA Tornado Damage Could Reach More than $20 Million

Three tornadoes touched down in central and southeastern Virginia on Monday, injuring at least 200 people throughout the Commonwealth. By Tuesday night, preliminary damage estimates in the city of Suffolk, where the tornadoes ripped through, topped $20 million for the city after assessing 342 properties.  
 
The twister, a category EF-3 with winds reaching about 160 mph, cut a northeast swath of destruction through the 430-square-mile city. The cost of the damage rose throughout the day as city workers examined hundreds of homes, reaching $20.1 million. Inspectors still had to complete their work in one of the hardest-hit areas, Hillpoint Farms.  
 
About 145 homes had been condemned, said Deputy Fire Chief Brian Spicer, and more than 1,200 homes suffered damage, according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.  
 
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine visited the city of Suffolk to comfort storm victims and to survey the damage.

Published on April 30, 2008