Virginia Beach suffers 'major storm damage' after city experiences first EF-3 tornado on record
Virginia Beach officials received calls of downed trees from the tornado, even one knocking onto a vehicle near Great Neck Middle School and trapping a person inside.
'Look at the debris': Tornado rips through Virginia Beach hurling debris
Footage by Jannis Abel Carleo shows a vortex hurling debris across Broad Bay in Virginia Beach’s north. The area was under a tornado warning at the time.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A tornado that was spotted moving through Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Sunday, which caused significant damage to a neighborhood, has been given a rating of EF-3.
NWS Wakefield on EF-3 tornado: VA Beach homes completely shifted off their foundations
An EF-3 tornado ripped through Virginia Beach, Virginia on Sunday night. Approximately 115 homes were damaged by the twister. NWS Wakefield Meteorologist Michael Montefusco told FOX Weather the tornado produced 140-150 winds and homes completely shifted off their foundations.
The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for the area just before 6 p.m. EDT Sunday, and not long after the twister was spotted moving through Virginia Beach, officials received calls of downed trees, even one knocking onto a vehicle near Great Neck Middle School and trapping a person inside.
Ed Stonich shot the video below from his porch in Virginia Beach, watching as debris was lofted in the air.
Tornado tears through Virginia Beach
Debris is seen lofted in the air as a tornado moves through Virginia Beach on Sunday, April 30, 2023. (Courtesy: Ed Stonich)
Damage was also seen in a nearby neighborhood.
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Image 1 of 2Tornado damage in Virginia Beach (Twitter: @anne_bianchi)
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Image 2 of 2Tornado damage in Virginia Beach (Twitter: @anne_bianchi)
"Crews responding to calls for major storm damage to multiple homes," the Virginia Beach Fire Department said Sunday evening. "Reports of multiple homes with gas leaks."
Virginia Beach City Manager Patrick Duhaney declared a local state of emergency Sunday evening after the tornado impacted communities in the northern part of the city. He estimated between 50 and 100 homes were damaged but noted the exact number was unknown.
Virginia Beach tornado rated an EF-3
A tornado that ripped through Virginia Beach on Sunday has been given an EF-3 rating. This is the first EF-3 tornado on record in the city of Virginia Beach.
Video taken in nearby Willoughby Spit shows the tornado. Tyler Anderson, who shot the video, said he couldn’t tell if the twister he spotted was over water or land.
The NWS office in Wakefield, Virginia, confirmed the tornado based on the debris signature on Doppler radar, damage reports and video from the area. A team of meteorologists from the Wakefield office conducted a storm survey on Monday and found the tornado had winds of 145 mph.
Tornado spotted in Virginia on Sunday
The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for the Virginia Beach area on Sunday, April 30, 2023. Tyler Anderson said he spotted the tornado or waterspout from the Willoughby Spit area.
The storm survey team said the tornado's path spanned about 4.5 miles, causing major damage to numerous homes along Haverham Close. Homes were shifted off their foundations, exterior walls were collapsed, and many roofs were completely removed.
HOW METEOROLOGISTS DETERMINE IF A TORNADO IS TO BLAME FOR STORM DAMAGE
Drone video shows devastation left across Virginia Beach from tornado
Drone video shot by the Virginia Beach Fire Department shows the devastation left across Virginia Beach from Sunday's tornado.
This tornado is the first EF-3 in the state of Virginia since April 19, 2019, and the first tornado of any intensity in the city of Virginia Beach since March 31, 2017. It's also the 15th tornado overall to impact Virginia Beach since 1950.
In addition, this is the first EF-3 tornado on record for Virginia Beach.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms were forecast to continue making their way up the East Coast into Monday.