Severe Thunderstorm warnings issused from NWS Wakefield Office went off at 3:03 for Suffolk County, the Monday afternoon of April 28th 2008.  The threat for severe weather was outlooked the previous Saturday for the Southeast part of Virginia.  A small but intense line of thunderstorms had developed in a moist air mass ahead of an approaching frontal system. That same frontal system passed through the Shenandoah Valley bringing just rain showers to our area.  The severe thunderstorm warning was upgraded to a tornado woraning at 3:11 PM for portions of Suffolk County. The tornado warning was reissued at 3:50 PM and stated that a tornado would touch near downtown Suffolk by 4:05PM. At 4:04 PM the NWS issued a severe weather statement declaring that doppler radar indicated a tornado near downtown Suffolk. The lead time from the tornado was 15 minutes. With six confirmed tornadoes, the biggest tornado was scaled at an EF3 in the City of Suffolk meaning 3 second wind gusts ranged from 136 mph - 165 mph. This particular tornado had a path length of about 10 miles long and a quarter mile wide. The tornado was on the ground for appromiately 15 minutes. 

Picture below show devestation from this tornado outbreak.

 

EF1 - Brunswick County 2:48 PM

EF1 - Chesterfield County, Colonial Heights 3:40 PM

EF3 - Suffolk County, Downtown Suffolk  4:05 PM

EF1 - Surry County, Claremont 4:18 PM

EF1 City of Norfolk 4:40 PM

EF1 - Isle of Wight 4:45 PM

 

 

 

The picture above amazes me. Wind is such a power weather tool that it took a tree branch and hurled it into the brakelight of this car.