A delegation of emergency personnel from across Northern Virginia deployed to Suffolk on Tuesday to aid recovery efforts after tornadoes ravaged the southeast corner of the state.
The five-person team from Arlington and Fairfax counties and the city of Fairfax will offer “operational support and relief” for Suffolk’s city staff, and will stay there for three days, Fairfax County announced.
The twisters touched down on Monday, tossing cars and smashing homes and businesses. Based on early estimates, at least 120 people were injured and 140 homes were damaged enough to be considered uninhabitable in Suffolk, according to Bob Spieldenner, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
He said a smaller number of homes in Brunswick and Halifax counties also suffered damage. The tornadoes also struck commercial areas in Colonial Heights.
There were no reported deaths as a result of the tornadoes as of Tuesday afternoon.
“Suffolk is definitely the center of the damage, it’s going to take a while before we have an idea of the extent,” Spieldenner said.
Gov. Tim Kaine declared a statewide emergency on Monday, allowing him to deploy state personnel and other aid. He said on Tuesday he would seek a similar declaration from the federal government.
The Northern Virginia team consists of Jack Brown, deputy director of Arlington’s Office of Emergency Management, Lt. Terry Murray of the county’s police department, Fairfax City Fire and Rescue capt. John Ahrens, Deputy Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Chief David McKernan, and Mike Wood, acting coordinator of the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management.
