According to reports, a catastrophic tornado drove through Virginia Beach, Virginia, forcing the city’s mayor to declare a state of emergency.
As the twister swept through the city, it tossed up heaps of rubble before ripping off roofs, uprooting trees, and sinking boats. A branch fell on a car, trapping one of its occupants inside, close to Great Neck Middle School.
In Fort Story, the National Weather Service (NWS) announced a Tornado Warning at about 6 in the evening. Tornado footage shows the twister ripping over the ocean with powerful gusts, eventually reaching the Bay Island pier and flipping the parked boats over.
The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for the Fort Story area in North Virginia Beach just before 6 in the evening.
The storm destroyed up to a hundred houses, but no casualties have been recorded.
It was estimated that more than 14,000 residents lost power during the day.
Most customers should have power restored by Sunday night, but those in Virginia Beach, where repair technicians cannot get to because of downed trees, may have to wait until Monday.
The roadways were littered with broken branches, tree trunks, and fallen leaves.
From 8 a.m. on Monday, crews will be clearing the streets of debris, but homeowners whose trees have fallen on their property must remove them.
Authorities have advised locals to contact their insurance companies about potential debris removal coverage.
According to NOAA.gov, there are around 1,200 tornadoes per year in the US.
Tornado notification methods have significantly evolved over the past few decades, allowing us to see more tornadoes.
Experts look at the destruction left by a storm to gauge its potency. The data allows us to make educated guesses about the wind speeds.
To better categorize tornadoes, the National Weather Service (NWS) adopted an Enhanced Fujita Scale in 2007.
The website reveals the EF-Scale incorporates 28 damage indicators, including building type, structures, and trees, to determine a tornado’s wind speed, making it more nuanced than the initially developed Fujita Scale (F-Scale). Eight gradations of damage are associated with every damage indication, from the first signs of damage to total destruction.
