Federal weather experts are in Wise County today, trying to determine if a tornado is responsible for yesterday's destruction of six homes in Big Stone Gap.
Fifteen other homes suffered major damage and 25 received minor damage from yesterday's powerful storm, said Jane Bennett, the county's emergency operations coordinator. The six homes that were destroyed "simply collapsed" from the high wind, she said.
Bennett said experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration arrived this afternoon to survey damage along a 10-block stretch of the town, where debris from yesterday afternoon's storm still litters the street.
A section of U.S. 58 is closed at Big Stone Gap, and power is still out in some sections of the town and in nearby Norton, Bennett said. A tree fell on one car, but the two people inside escaped without injury, she said.
A Big Stone Gap woman was taken to a hospital with chest pain, and three other residents received minor scratches.
"We're utterly shocked that no one was seriously injured," said Bennett.
Bennett said county officials set up an emergency shelter yesterday at Powell Valley High School, but no one showed up, heading instead to spend the night with family and neighbors. She added that the number of destroyed homes is likely to rise after county officials complete their assessment of the damage.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine declared a state of emergency in Virginia today, a move that allows state workers and cleanup equipment to respond more quickly to problem areas.
The storm caused wind damage, including trees blown onto buildings and roads, across much of the state, including Louisa and Essex counties and parts of Southside Virginia.
"It looks like Wise County was hardest hit," said Bob Spieldenner, a spokesman for the state Department of Emergency Management. He said there were no reports of deaths or serious injuries.
Contact Rex Bowman at rbowman@timesdispatch.com
Contact Rex Springston at rspringston@timesdispatch.com
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement