Scott's April, 2008 Blog
(blog descends chronologically)
 

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 
215 PM EDT TUE APR 29 2008

...STORM DAMAGE IN HALIFAX COUNTY VIRGINIA CAUSED BY EF1 TORNADO...

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY FOUND THAT STORM DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED 
IN HALIFAX COUNTY VIRGINIA IN THE TOWN OF VIRGINIA MONDAY AFTERNOON WAS CAUSED 
BY AN EF1 TORNADO.

WINDS IN THE STORM WERE ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEN 86 AND 109 MPH.
THE STORM WAS ON THE GROUND FROM APPROXIMATELY 110 TO 115 PM. THE INITIAL DAMAGE 
STARTED JUST SOUTH AND WEST OF THE INTERSECTIONS OF HIGHWAYS 96 AND 49. 
THIS ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE TOWN OF VIRGINIA. THE TORNADO WAS ON THE 
GROUND FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE TRAVELING TO THE NORTHEAST. SPORADIC DAMAGE 
OCCURRED FURTHER NORTHEAST ON GILLS MOUNTAIN ROAD FROM STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. AT THE
WIDEST POINT...THE TORNADO WAS 240 YARDS WIDE.

6 HOMES WERE DAMAGED...AND NUMEROUS LARGE TREES WERE DOWNED AND SNAPPED.


This tornadic storm was three hours ahead of the more serious weather in and near Suffolk, VA and is logical as the 
severe weather traversed from southwest to northeast as the afternoon progressed.


First report on Colonial Heights tornado:

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA 
405 PM EDT TUE APR 29 2008 

... THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF TORNADO SURVEY RESULTS FOR 
THE COLONIAL HEIGHTS, VA TORNADO ON APRIL 28, 2008... 

SURVEY DAMAGE SCALE RESULT: EF1 
ESTIMATED WINDSPEED: 86-110 MPH 
TOTAL INJURIES: 21 
TOTAL DEATHS: 0 
PATH LENGTH: APPROX. 1/2 MILE 
PATH WIDTH: APPROX. 75-80 YARDS 

SUMMARY... 

IN COLONIAL HEIGHTS...THE TORNADO APPEARED TO MOVE ALONG AN APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF MILE,
75-80 YARD WIDTH PATH FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. AS INDICATED FROM THE DAMAGE, 
THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN SPOTS BEGINNING NEAR THE END OF THE FOOTBALL FIELD 
NEAR COLONIAL HEIGHTS MIDDLE SCHOOL, ACROSS INTERSTATE 95, INTO THE DIMMOCK SQUARE 
SHOPPING CENTER. THE FIRST OF THE DAMAGE WAS TO A FOOTBALL FIELD CLUBHOUSE AS A PART OF 
THE ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF. THE STORM THEN LIFTED ACROSS AN AREA OF HOMES AND TOUCHED DOWN 
AGAIN JUST WEST OF THE INTERSTATE AND TEARING A PATH THROUGH THE ROOF OF THE MEDALLION 
POOLS BUILDING. TWISTED METAL WAS STREWN ACROSS THE PARKING LOT WITH A FEW CARS DAMAGED 
FROM THE FLYING DEBRIS. THE TORNADO LIFTED AGAIN ACROSS I-95 SCATTERING DEBRIS ACROSS 
THE SOUTHGATE SQUARE PARKING LOT INCLUDING A HALF-TON AIR CONDITIONING UNIT BLOWN 
APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS AND DEPOSITED IN FRONT OF THE HELZBERG DIAMONDS BUSINESS 
NEAR SOUTH PARK BOULEVARD. 

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED WITH THE FINAL TOUCHDOWN IN THE DIMMOCK SQUARE 
STRIP MALL. A STRING OF 4 STORES AROUND 75-80 YARDS IN WIDTH HAD CEILING TILES BLOWN OUT,
ROOF PEELED OFF AND WINDOWS BLOWN OUT. SEVERAL CARS WERE DAMAGED...AS SOME HAD WINDOWS 
SHATTERED FROM FLYING DEBRIS. OTHER VEHICLES WERE FLIPPED AND TOSSED ABOUT IN 
PILES. THE STORM APPEARED TO LIFT AGAIN BUT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO A BANK AND LIGHT POLES 
BLOWN DOWN IN A CAR LOT APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 100 YARDS EAST OF DIMMOCK SQUARE. 
CARS WERE ALSO DAMAGED HERE FROM THE FLYING DEBRIS.

Total number of yesterday's Virginia tornadoes is now at six.

I'm sharing the video below because it gives you a good sense of what chasing is like here in the East. We have far more 
obstructions than do our friends in Tornado Alley...as evidenced by the tornado  "popping out" from behind trees. I chuckled 
at hearing a horns blow as the Jesse V. Bass III (chaser/videographer) pulled out into traffic. Been there, done that!

Helicopter video and analysis from last evening over the Suffolk/Driver area.



Interesting to watch the video above and see how this tornado lifted and came down again. There are unconfirmed reports this occurred several times along a path that may reach 25 miles in length. The NWS is assessing an expansive damage path and will ultimately be able to determine the exact path, intensity and number of touchdowns for each tornado. Path of largest tornado:


View Larger Map



Loads more videos here: http://www.hamptonroads.tv/index.cfm?locvid=139644&tid=r700

Last night, I was reminded of a twister oddity I totally forgot. The violent La Plata, MD tornado also happened on April 28 (2002). I should have recalled the date as I remember chasing in the Shenandoah Valley and NOVA and that was the date a white tornado crossed I-81 here in the Valley. Pictures in our photo gallery (click to enlarge):

. 

Video of the 4/28/02 event:


Yesterday's tornadoes had the potential of causing a large number of deaths. While the "Suffolk tornado" was larger than what most people anticipated, there was a Tornado Watch box that was followed by Tornado Warnings. SPC, NWS and local media in the area provided *excellent* service to the public and deserve recognition for mitigating loss of life. I'm a member of SkyWARN and was unable to chase but have exchanged text messages with a cohort in Hampton Rhodes, VA. Trained spotters and chasers in these parts don't often cover a violent twister, but those who did yesterday did so professionally and provided critical ground truth. We should tip our caps to the professionals and volunteers who helped prevent catastrophic casualties here in Virginia.
 

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