Tornado touched down in Middlesex Co.

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05:29 PM EDT on Friday, July 8, 2005

By Dottie Wikan, WVEC.com

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This is one of several homes damaged when powerful storms swept through Saluda early Friday.

They weren't positive it was a tornado, but residents in Middlesex County knew it looked like one had touched down in the middle of the night. By mid-afternoon, the National Weather Service had confirmed a tornado had hit.

Many people found sections of their roof peeled off, pieces blown nearby or to who knows where.

Other people surveyed the damage from trees that had broken in two and fallen on their homes. Other trees had been ripped from the ground and were balancing precariously on the damaged structures.

As of 6:00 a.m., a survey revealed about a half dozen homes had been damaged and one, a double wide, was destroyed. A business had the roof peeled back and windows blown out.

Pieces of the roof of two buildings, used as rental storage space and a body shop, were blown off.

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County officials say these buildings are used as rental storage space and a part of one is used as a body shop.

The fire department went into action and spent the morning putting tarps over damaged rooftops.

County officials told WVEC.com the storm swept through just after 3:00 a.m. "It went from one edge of Saluda on the diagonal and came out on other edge and missed the crossroads and was headed to Urbanna," said Betty S. Muncy, Administrative Secretary for Middlesex County.

Most of Saluda also lost power, but service was restored by 8:00 a.m.

The National Weather Service made a preliminary survey in Saluda on Friday and have determined that a tornado rated high end F1, with estimated wind speeds of 110 mph, cut a path 50 yards wide and three miles long.

There is no dollar assessment yet. There were no reports of injuries.

An F1 is considered to be moderate, with wind speeds of 73-112 mph. An F1 can push mobile homes off foundations or overturn them, move vehicles off the roads and damage attached garages.

The National Weather service also sent representatives to Henrico County, Middlesex County and Mecklenberg.

Damage in Southampton County, near Copren, consisted of a damaged roof and several downed trees.

Hail was reported in Mecklenburg County but there was little damage.