Tornado Tracker - Articles - Zimbio

Tornadoes in Virginia (Monday, April 28)

Sun, 3 Nov 2008 05:20:12 GMT

posted by zonnt1

Tornadoes Injure Hundreds in Virginia
By SONJA BARISIC,AP
Posted: 2008-04-29 06:04:13
Filed Under: Nation News
SUFFOLK, Va. (April 29) - Three tornadoes ripped through Virginia on Monday, with one hop-scotching across the southeastern part of the state and leaving behind a 25-mile trail of gutted homes, tossed cars and more than 200 injured residents.

Photo Gallery
Steve Earley, The Virginian-Pilot / AP ‘It Sounded
Like a Train’1 of 5 More than 200 people were injured Monday as three tornadoes swept through central and southeastern Virginia. Above, residents of the Burnett’s Mill neighborhood in Suffolk, Va., survey the damage caused by the storms. “Multiple buildings have been destroyed, homes have been destroyed,” a city spokesperson said.

Residents of some of the hardest hit neighborhoods in this town outside Norfolk were forced to evacuate their homes, with buses taking them to nearby shelters. Police closed roads, steering people away from streets with downed power lines.

Downed trees and power lines covered the streets in a section of the city. A vending machine was tilted on its side, leaning up against a pile of rubble that had been the general store in a small shopping district.

“It’s just a bunch of broken power poles, telephone lines and sad faces,” said Richard Allbright, who works for a tree removal service in Driver and had been out for hours trying to clear the roads.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine declared a state of emergency for the areas of southeastern Virginia struck by the twisters.

The National Weather Service confirmed that tornadoes struck Suffolk, Colonial Heights and Brunswick County. Meteorologist Bryan Jackson described Suffolk’s as a “major tornado.”

Jackson said the Brunswick County tornado was estimated at 86 mph to 110 mph, and cut a 300-yard path of destruction.

The first tornado touched down around 1 p.m. in Brunswick County, said Mike Rusnak, a weather service meteorologist in Wakefield. The second struck Colonial Heights around 3:40 p.m., he said.

The third touched down multiple times, between 4:30 to 5 p.m., and is believed to have caused damage over a 25-mile path from Suffolk to Norfolk, Rusnak said.

At least 200 were injured in Suffolk and 18 others were injured in Colonial Heights, south of Richmond, said Bob Spieldenner from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

In Colonial Heights, the storm overturned cars and damaged buildings in the Southpark Mall area.

Suffolk city spokeswoman Dana Woodson said the area around Sentara Obici Hospital and in the community of Driver, located within the city, were hardest hit. The hospital was damaged but still able to treat patients.

Insulation, wiring and twisted metal hung from the front of a strip mall in Suffolk that was stripped bare of its facing. Cars and SUVs in the parking lot outside lay strewn about, some lying on top of others.

Several of Gregory A. Parker’s businesses and his pre-Civil War-era home in Driver were damaged in the tornado.

The porch was blown off his Arthur’s General Store. At another store he owns, the tin roof was rolled up like a sardine can. The facade of his home collapsed and the windows were blown out. Inside, furniture was tossed about.

“I hate to say it sounded like a train, but that’s the truth,” Parker said.

His wife, Ellise, rode out the storm in the first-floor bathroom of an antique store. The building lost its second story. His brother, Craig S. Parker, owns the general store that sells hunting and fishing supplies.

Parker is spending the night with his sister, who lives nearby.

“I don’t even think a leaf blew off at her house. That’s how tornadoes are,” he said.

Sentara hospital spokesman Dale Gauding said about 60 injured people were being treated there, and he expected most to be released.

“We have lots of cuts and bruises” and arm and leg injuries, he said. The hospital’s windows were cracked, apparently by debris from a damaged shopping center across the street.

Southside Regional Medical Center treated one storm victim with minor injuries and was poised to receive more, hospital spokeswoman Terry Tysinger said.

Property damage also was reported in Brunswick County, one of several localities where the weather service had issued a tornado warning. Sgt. Michelle Cotten of the Virginia State Police said a twister destroyed two homes. Trees and power lines were down, and some flooding was reported.

About 6,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers remained without service Monday night, mostly in the Northern Neck.

Laura Southard, a state emergency management spokeswoman, said the damage essment will be done Tuesday.

Duration : 0:0:57

Technorati Tags: 2008, 28, april, monday, tornado, tornadoes, virginia

Wrigley & tornadoes | The August Report

Tue, 27 Aug 2008 03:25:29 GMT

posted by andrewsgumguy

Wrigley’s first encounter with tornadoes in August came during Cubs-Astros game at Wrigley Field on August 4. Here’s how the story was reported on the CBC site in Canada (the above photo from the site shows a stadium worker leaving during the tornado warning):

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for downtown Chicago and a siren went off in the neighborhood surrounding Wrigley Field at about 8:05 p.m.

There was an announcement over the ballpark’s public address system and a message on the large scoreboard in centre field, advising fans to seek shelter on the concourse.

Most left the upper stands and went into the lower deck, though some stayed in their seats.

A couple of fans ran on the field and started body sliding on the tarp.

There were oohs and aahs from the crowd as thunder and spectacular lightning crackled in the sky.

The siren ceased about 8:10 p.m., then resumed and stopped again.

After the warnings, rain came in a torrent across the field with high winds, reducing visibility to zero.

The warning track and the area behind home plate were soaked within minutes, as was the front row of the press box.

“I have never seen anything like it,” said Bob Sejnoha, a fan at the game.

“This is unprecedented. I don’t think it has ever happened at Wrigley.”

In preparation as the storm approached, flags commemorating former Cubs greats were taken down off the foul poles at Wrigley Field.

About 90 minutes after the game was halted, the wind and rain subsided considerably, though lightning and thunder continued.

Fans were allowed to return to their seats in the bleachers and grandstands.

The grounds crew swept up debris from behind home plate and worked to clear standing water from the warning track.

The National Weather Service did not immediately confirm any tornado touchdowns.

And earlier today, 11Alive.com, a news site from Atlanta, Georgia, continued reporting on the Wrigley-related tornado threats of August in this eyewitness account:

“I was Heading north on Atlanta Highway at Thurman Tanner Road and I looked north towards Oakwood and saw low clouds moving very fast and going around in a roundabout way and they tightend up and became a distinct funnel cloud. It stayed like that for about a minute and dissipated. It was tall and very slender but not funnel shaped yet and then it went away. Then I saw another (cloud) towards Wrigley’s (chewing gum plant),” (Cheryl) Smith (of Flowery Branch) said. “I went into the entrance to look at this cloud because it was bigger and more menacing looking. I stopped and watched it through the rain. It started to form, I didn’t see it form a complete tornado but it was swirling in an effort to create a tornado. It was close, it was really close so I decided to go away and get out of there. “

Tornadoes hit Virginia

Mon, 29 Apr 2008 02:29:00 GMT

posted by Rejniv
SUFFOLK, Va. - Three tornadoes ripped through Virginia on Monday, with one hop-scotching across the southeastern part of the state and leaving behind a 25-mile trail of gutted homes, tossed cars and more than 200 injured residents.

Residents of some of the hardest hit neighborhoods in this town outside Norfolk were forced to evacuate their homes, with buses taking them to nearby shelters. Police closed roads, steering people away from streets with downed power lines.

Downed trees and power lines covered the streets in a section of the city. A vending machine was tilted on its side, leaning up against a pile of rubble that had been the general store in a small shopping district.

"It's just a bunch of broken power poles, telephone lines and sad faces," said Richard Allbright, who works for a tree removal service in Driver and had been out for hours trying to clear the roads.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine declared a state of emergency for the areas of southeastern Virginia struck by the twisters.

The National Weather Service confirmed that tornadoes struck Suffolk, Colonial Heights and Brunswick County. Meteorologist Bryan Jackson described Suffolk's as a "major tornado."

Jackson said the Brunswick County tornado was estimated at 86 mph to 110 mph, and cut a 300-yard path of destruction.

The first tornado touched down around 1 p.m. in Brunswick County, said Mike Rusnak, a weather service meteorologist in Wakefield. The second struck Colonial Heights around 3:40 p.m., he said.

The third touched down multiple times, between 4:30 to 5 p.m., and is believed to have caused damage over a 25-mile path from Suffolk to Norfolk, Rusnak said.

At least 200 were injured in Suffolk and 18 others were injured in Colonial Heights, south of Richmond, said Bob Spieldenner from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

In Colonial Heights, the storm overturned cars and damaged buildings in the Southpark Mall area.

Suffolk city spokeswoman Dana Woodson said the area around Sentara Obici Hospital and in the community of Driver, located within the city, were hardest hit. The hospital was damaged but still able to treat patients.

Insulation, wiring and twisted metal hung from the front of a strip mall in Suffolk that was stripped bare of its facing. Cars and SUVs in the parking lot outside lay strewn about, some lying on top of others.

Several of Gregory A. Parker's businesses and his pre-Civil War-era home in Driver were damaged in the tornado.

The porch was blown off his Arthur's General Store. At another store he owns, the tin roof was rolled up like a sardine can. The facade of his home collapsed and the windows were blown out. Inside, furniture was tossed about.

"I hate to say it sounded like a train, but that's the truth," Parker said.

His wife, Ellise, rode out the storm in the first-floor bathroom of an antique store. The building lost its second story. His brother, Craig S. Parker, owns the general store that sells hunting and fishing supplies.

Parker is spending the night with his sister, who lives nearby.

"I don't even think a leaf blew off at her house. That's how tornadoes are," he said.

Sentara hospital spokesman Dale Gauding said about 60 injured people were being treated there, and he expected most to be released.

"We have lots of cuts and bruises" and arm and leg injuries, he said. The hospital's windows were cracked, apparently by debris from a damaged shopping center across the street.

Southside Regional Medical Center treated one storm victim with minor injuries and was poised to receive more, hospital spokeswoman Terry Tysinger said.

Property damage also was reported in Brunswick County, one of several localities where the weather service had issued a tornado warning. Sgt. Michelle Cotten of the Virginia State Police said a twister destroyed two homes. Trees and power lines were down, and some flooding was reported.

About 6,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers remained without service Monday night, mostly in the Northern Neck.

Laura Southard, a state emergency management spokeswoman, said the damage assessment will be done Tuesday.

By SONJA BARISIC, Associated Press Writer

Boy Scouts killed in Little Sioux, IA Tornado

Wed, 10 Jul 2008 18:27:00 GMT

posted by jeanieBee117
July 10, 2008

After the deadly June 11 tornado, which took the lives of four young Boy Scouts, restoration projects for the Little Sioux Scout Camp are being organized. The tornado destroyed much of the camp and damaged thousands of trees. Work will also be started on the 25 miles of trails on the property which need to be cleared of the debris left from the storm.

The restoration project includes reforestation, road reconstruction, rebuilding the Scout ranger's house, and construction of new shelters. Seven teams are working on restoring the camp at this time. However it's unknown how long the cleanup will take.

So far, the Mid- America Boy Scout Council has received $174,000 in donations to restore the camp. In addition to the restoration, a team has been organized to develop a concept for a memorial in honor of the four Boy Scouts who died there and the 40 boys who were injured during the June 11, 2008 tornado. The 125 families who had boys at the camp will be invited to participate in the concept design.

If you'd care to send a donation to help restore the Little Sioux Scout Ranch please send to:

Mid-America Council
Attn: Little Sioux Recovery
12401 West Maple Road
Omaha, Nebraska 68164

Lets get these area scouts back to their beautiful ranch.

Boy Scouts killed in Little Sioux, IA Tornado

DES MOINES, IOWA...June 11, 2008:

At least four boy scouts were killed and dozens injured when a tornado tore through a Boy Scout Ranch in western Iowa Wednesday evening, June 11, 2008, as more than 30 twisters ripped through the Midwest. The deadly twisters struck the Little Sioux Scout Ranch in western Iowa, about 40 miles north of Omaha, Neb., about 5:35 p.m., killing four and injuring at least 20, authorities said.

All of the children had been accounted for late Wednesday after rescuers cut their way through downed trees and debris to reach them. Search and rescue operations at the scout camp where dozens had gathered for a summer retreat continued early Thursday after a storm-wracked night. Officials had yet to say how many of the dead were adults or boys. The scouts had been attending an annual "Pohuk Pride" weeklong junior leader training event at the 1,800-acre ranch, which has four cabin shelters, a 15-acre lake, a rifle range and six hiking trails. 92 campers aged 13 to 17, and 25 adults were at the scout camp when the tornado struck.

In addition to the four dead, three from Omaha and one from Eagle Grove, Iowa, at least 20 and possibly up to 40 people were injured, several critically. Boys who had gathered in the largest shelter were showered with bricks and debris when the tornado hit the building, shattering the large fireplace and collapsing the roof. Ambulances, police and emergency personnel from neighboring counties raced to the area along with volunteers and Red Cross crews who were on hand to assist frantic parents searching for their children.

Parents were unable to reach campsites and were gathered at the Little Sioux Church of Christ in nearby Little Sioux, Iowa, waiting, slumped against walls, crying, and praying. Some parents whose children had cell phones got quick word that they were OK….others did the only thing they could do ....wait and pray.

After the tornado: can’t we all just get along

Tue, 2 Apr 2008 21:48:10 GMT

posted by robertstevenson

Posted by robertstevenson on April 2, 2008

After the tornado - Greensburg, KS March 2008

THIS IS SUCH A NEAT STORY ………………………………

The story begins with the rescuers finding this poor little guy they named Ralphie. Someone had already taken him under their wing but weren’t equipped to adopt;

Ralphie, scared and starved, joined his rescuers…

I wouldn’t think anyting could live through this . . . but we were wrong.

This little lady also survived that wreckage.

Here she is just placed in the car - scared, but safe.

and then…they are no longer alone!

Instant friends, they comforted each other while in the car.

Add two more beagles found after that… the more, the merrier!

Oh boy, a new traveler to add to the mix… (note: the cat coming over the seat needing shelter…) now just how is this going to work??? - and remember they are all strange to one another

It’s going to work just fine, thank you very much!

Wow! The things we learn from our animal friends… If only all of mankind could learn such valuable lessons as this. Lessons of instant friendship. Of peace and harmony by way of respect for one another — no matter one’s color or creed. These animals tell you… ‘It’s just good to be alive and with others.’ Yes, it surely is. So… Live, Love Laugh. ! ‘Life’s a Gift… Unwrap It!’

This entry was posted on April 2, 2008 at 4:48 pm and is filed under Life, Thoughts. Tagged: animals, Life, love, tornado. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.