Cape Charles, VA – A fierce storm packing powerful winds and rain toppled trees and flipped campers Thursday at a Virginia campground Thursday, killing at least two people and sending at least 20 more to hospitals, officials said.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The injured were being taken to area hospitals, Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said. Geller also confirmed the deaths.
The storm slammed into the Cherrystone Family Camping & RV Resort, which sits on 300 acres on the Chesapeake Bay in rural Northampton County.
The National Weather Service had issued a tornado warning for the area that expired at 9 a.m. Thursday.
“It came in real quick,” Eastville volunteer firefighter Brittney Eder told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “The sky turned jet black.”
Eder said she left the campground before the full force of the storm hit.
Eder’s father, Fire Chief David Eder, told her from the scene that the storm felled trees and flipped at least two campers.
Geller said people at the campground were being taken by bus to a nearby school for shelter.
Brian Coy, a spokesman for Gov. Terry McAuliffe, said the administration was closely monitoring the situation and had received reports of severe damage at the campground with trees on top of campers.
Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer 3rd Class David Weydert said crews also were responding to reports of boats overturned in the water in the area. Good Samaritans pulled at least three people from the water, he said, though their conditions were unknown.
A reporter at the scene said the road to the campground was blocked by police.
