On April 28, 2008, an outbreak of tornadoes hit southern and southeastern Virginia during the afternoon hours.
The first tornado struck Virgilina just after 1 p.m. The second tornado moved across Brunswick county just before 3 p.m. The next tornado hit Colonial Heights at 3:40 p.m.
Additional tornadoes hit southeast Virginia the rest of the afternoon. The Middle Peninsula was affected by a tornado that traveled from Gloucester to Mathews county.
The biggest tornado, an EF-3, cut a path from Suffolk to Norfolk by late afternoon.
The EF scale, which is the “Enhanced Fujita” scale, is a measure of tornado strength based on wind speed and damage. It is named after Theodore Fujita, who created the original “F-Scale”.
| EF SCALE | |
| EF Rating | 3 Second Gust (mph) |
| 0 | 65-85 |
| 1 | 86-110 |
| 2 | 111-135 |
| 3 | 136-165 |
| 4 | 166-200 |
| 5 | Over 200 |
The National Weather Service has a great summary of the event, including track maps, radar and video from that day.
