VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) -- Multiple tornadoes touched down during Friday night's storms, including a powerful EF-2 that almost completely destroyed a Chesapeake Church.
The National Weather Service sent out a storm survey team to evaluate damage in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach on Saturday. They report a tornado formed in Chesapeake and made several touch downs across the city and into Virginia Beach, damaging homes and nearly destroying a church in Chesapeake as a strong EF-2.
Confirmed EF-2 Tornado yesterday evening across portions of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, VA. Detailed information: https://t.co/JnE0OoNydP pic.twitter.com/lBv1OYLQhR
— NWS Wakefield (@NWSWakefieldVA) April 1, 2017
According to the NWS, the tornado first formed as an EF-0 with 90 mph maximum winds, touching down at Green Tree Road in Chesapeake. It quickly lifted back off the ground, but made a second touch down in Kempbridge, where a single wide mobile home was destroyed.
At this point the tornado strengthened to an EF-2 with maximum wind speeds of 120 mph. It touched down again and hit the Real Life Christian Church on Centerville Road.
It traveled on Stump Lake and Elbow Road, while weakening to an EF1 with winds between 100 and 105 mph.
The tornado traveled as a high-end EF-0 across Landstown High School, Princess Anne, Tidewater Community College, Rosemont, and then lifted off the ground near the Light Horse Development.
The entire path of the tornado stretched eight miles. There have been no reports of injuries or deaths.
Leaders of Real Life Christian Church plan to meet to talk to insurance adjustors and maybe find a temporary location for Sunday services.
In addition to the EF-2, a second tornado was reported in Suffolk, and a third in Bertie County, North Carolina.
The Suffolk tornado was an EF-1 with peak winds at 80 to 90 mph and stretched for about a mile, about two miles southeast of downtown Suffolk. It damaged a number of trees and sent debris from an outhouse into an adjacent building. The tornado was last seen entering into the Great Dismal Swamp.
Confirmed EF-1 Tornado yesterday evening near Powellsville in Bertie County, NC. #ncwx Detailed information: https://t.co/J8D7gJUAjh pic.twitter.com/Z0h2cdNMkR
— NWS Wakefield (@NWSWakefieldVA) April 1, 2017
In North Carolina, the NWS says another EF-1 tornado traveled nearly five miles, causing intermittent damage along its path.
Initial damage, mainly to trees, was see along and just west of Sally Freeman Road, about a mile south of
Powellsville, NC. The tornado tracked east-northeastward, crossing Rt. 42 near Rockpile Road, where additional damage to trees and a mobile home were seen.
The path then continued to Quebec Road north of Rt. 42, where multiple trees were downed, some farm buildings were damaged, and a mobile home was overturned and destroyed.
The tornado weakened as it moved into the wooded area adjacent to the location of the damage mentioned above. The damage was most intense near the northeast end of the track.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
