Hundreds hurt as tornados roar through Virginia

Three tornados ripped through Virginia, with one leaving behind a 25-mile trail of gutted homes, tossed cars and more than 200 injured residents.

Residents of some of the hardest hit neighbourhoods in Suffolk, a city outside Norfolk, were forced to flee their homes, with buses taking them to nearby shelters. Police closed roads, steering people away from streets with downed power lines.

Wrecked 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 and had been out for hours trying to clear the roads.

State governor Timothy Kaine declared a state of emergency for the areas of south-eastern Virginia struck by the twisters.

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

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

The first tornado touched down at around 1pm local time yesterday (6pm BST) in Brunswick County, said Mike Rusnak, a weather service meteorologist in Wakefield. The second struck Colonial Heights at around 3.40pm.

The third touched down several times, between 4.30 and 5pm, and is believed to have caused damage over a 25-mile path from Suffolk to Norfolk.

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.

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.