News

Actions

Hampton residents continue clean-up efforts after tornado

Posted at 6:30 PM, Jun 04, 2012
and last updated 2012-06-04 19:48:49-04

For 89 years, Virginia Milholen has called this neighborhood home.

In that time she's seen her fair share of bad weather. “Hurricanes and floods and everything else,” she says.

But the tornado that blew down her street Friday was definitely a first.

"This is the only tornado that I know of in my whole life," she says.

A party happening next door at the yacht club ended abruptly, it's remnants blowing into Milholen's porch.

“In my yard was all the stuff that was over there - tables and all the debris and everything was blown in our yard and all down the street," she says.

 It's a similar story across city where the tornado's path has left a lot of debris in its wake meaning crews have been working nearly around the clock to clean it all up

"The city is out right now with a number of crews doing debris pick-up, taking out trees. Cleaning up, boarding up and getting the houses dry," says Brian Machese with the City of Hampton.

While Milholen has nothing but thanks for the city crews, it's been her neighbors stepping in to take action that has impressed her the most.

“Everybody was so wonderful as soon as it was over the next day people were coming down to help you clean up - they had their blowers going," she says.

She says it makes her neighborhood feel more like a close knit family.

"Everybody was helping everybody else. I mean they just pitched in just like it was a family,"  she says.

Family she hopes doesn't live through this again anytime soon.

"Once in 89 years is enough!”