Tornado tears through campground in Cape Charles, Virginia; 3 fatalities reported

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Thu Jul 24, 2014, 03:53 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Washington Post, WAVY

By Jason Samenow July 24 at 10:25 am

10:25 a.m. update: WAVY is reporting three people are confirmed dead from this tornado: ... The Eastville Volunteer Fire Department confirmed three people were killed at Cherrystone Campground during severe weather Thursday morning. A spokesperson did not have any information about the victims, including their sex or ages.

Capital Weather Gang Facebook follower Kristen Wright Klipfer shared this report with us: ... We are in Cape Charles across from the campground. It was a huge storm with high winds and golf ball hail. Did not see the tornado but there is a lot of damage around. We had very little warning that any storm, much less one that big, was coming.

9:59 a.m. update: A tornado ripped through a campground near Cape Charles, Virginia just before 9 a.m. this morning. Hampton Roads TV affiliate WAVY and emergency officials report the twister overturned campers and caused numerous injuries. Affiliate WVEC reports several children are among the injured.



For additional updates, Hampton Roads TV affiliate is live blogging on the severe weather/twister: LIVE BLOG: Tornado touches down in Cherrystone Family Camping Resort in Cape Charles

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2014/07/24/tornado-touches-down-at-campground-in-cape-charles-virginia/

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ETA: Updates at around 11:50 a.m. are now saying that at least two fatalities have been confirmed. Whether the third person is still alive is not now certain.

ETA again, about 3:50 p.m. It looks as if there are only two fatalities. Not that that's much of a consolation. I guess you have to take what you can get.

== == == ==

3 confirmed dead at Cherrystone Campground

BREAKING: The Eastville Volunteer Fire Department confirmed three people were killed at Cherrystone Campground during severe weather Thursday morning. A spokesperson did not have any information about the victims, including their sex or ages.

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Update at 10:20 a.m.: Ed Brazzle with Virginia Beach EMS says the City of Virginia Beach has responded to the Eastern Shore with six ambulances, a mass casualty truck and other equipment to help with patients and transporting them to a hospital.

Pictures are now becoming available.

Eastern Shore tornado damage

I'm getting an overload of disturbing pictures these days, so I'll leave this with the link and no more.

[Marrah_G]

1. Horrible!

[liberal N proud]

2. Tornado at 9:00 AM

Very unusual!

[Stuart G]

3. Yes, unusual, but they come at all times.

[underpants]

9. Storm rolled through here last night

It wasn't raining when I went to bed but it was this morning. Still that is very strange. There was a tornado in the morning in Va Beach a couple if weeks ago.

[underpants]

4. My daughter was at a camp sleepover last night - heart in my throat for a second there

All I saw was tornado - campground. My daughter is not anywhere near there. Whew!!!

I see that this is in the bay side of the Eastern shore. Must be a big campground because it is prominent on google maps.

I feel for them. Really feel for them.

[NaturalHigh]

5. I'm glad your daughter is okay.

This is a terrible tragedy for these families.

[woodsprite]

7. It's a huge campground, lots of families since they run a lot of activities.

300 acres, over 700 sites

[underpants]

10. That's pretty big

So sad

[woodsprite]

6. OMG! This is where we like to camp when heading to NC

Wonderful campground and great people doing the management there, have been going there for years. We were heading down there in a couple of weeks. No place that I know of to get inside in a basement or even "find a ditch" to lay flat in. There is the cafe and a couple of other buildings, but nothing really sturdy.

Sending prayers of sympathy and hope their way and for all the families involved.

[underpants]

8. Nope no basements water level is too high

I grew sort of directly across the bay from there. No one had a basement. Moving here from Ohio that was new to us.

[underpants]

11. Live blog from Tidewater TV station. 1,300 registered at the campground

http://wtkr.com/2014/07/24/tornado-warning-issued-for-northampton-county-va/

[Jean4CountyClerk]

12. Heartbreaking...

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