NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, Va. -- A severe storm caught a Northern Neck community by surprise Monday because, according to the sheriff, there were no weather service warnings.
A local woman who had ventured out to Lowe’s to get a new stove Monday afternoon found out on her way home that she had lost her house.
"A tornado came through and wiped out my house,” said Neada Corbin, who says she’s thanking God that’s she's alive. "The only thing left is the porch on the side of the house, as you can see right there."
The Northumberland County woman was at the store while her house was lifted off its foundation and scattered. Her mattress and part of her roof flew away, along with her belongings, about a half-mile away.
"The first call we got was from EMS workers across the field,” said Sheriff Johnny Beauchamp. “They saw it and like you said, we had no warning, so we started dispatching deputies' different areas and they were surveying the damage and some even saw it so they were giving a direction."
The tops of trees were twisted and splintered and power lines and poles snapped from wind pressure.
"They're almost like distribution lines, so the 600 and some without power rely on these lines," said Kyle Allwine with the Northern Neck Electric Cooperative.
Weather service members will survey the damage Tuesday, while people on the ground in the Northern Neck say they’re certain that it was a tornado.
"We were getting inundated with 911 calls that there was a tornado on the ground," said Beauchamp.
The surprise storm was quick and destructive, cutting a path about a mile long and 125 feet wide.
Luckily, there were no deaths and no reported injuries.
"I didn't believe it,” said Corbin.
A miracle, she said, that her need for a new stove took her out of the house Monday afternoon.
"Nobody got hurt," Corbin said. “Everybody is okay. A house can be replaced. It's time I got a new one."
You can help Corbin by contributing to herGoFundMe.
