Up to 100 homes were damaged and a state of emergency was declared in Virginia Beach, Virginia, after a tornado ripped through the city, closing at least three schools Monday, authorities said, while a South Florida community it is also recovering from a tornado that occurred over the weekend.
No injuries have been reported after “between 50 and 100” homes were damaged when a tornado struck the Great Neck area of the city around 6 p.m. Sunday, Virginia Beach authorities said.
Crews from the Virginia Beach Fire Department responded to calls for collapsed roofs and cleared up major debris Sunday night, the department said. Some homes had gas leaks, city officials said, and crews from Virginia Natural Gas and Dominion Power also responded.
“Based on the debris signature on the radar, damage reports, and video from the storm, we can confirm a tornado was present,” the National Weather Service office in Wakefield, Virginia, said in a tweet, adding that it was would conduct a study this Monday to determine the rating of the tornado.
Cox High School, Great Neck Middle School and John B. Dey Elementary School are closed Monday due to road closures and storm damage, the school district said.