VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It’s been almost a week since a destructive EF-3 tornado hit the Great Neck area of Virginia Beach.
City officials estimate that the cost of damage could be more than $16 million in areas like Haversham Close.
In this particular area of Virginia Beach, the road to recovery is a long way off as debris still remains on the sidewalk. Some of the houses are in such poor shape that they will have be torn down.
However, there are several clean-up efforts underway, whether it's repairing roofs or in small ways like passing out water and snacks.
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Neighbor Jim Sullivan says he had to think quickly on Sunday during the tornado.
"At about 6 o'clock my phone went off and we headed to a closet under our steps," he said. "Within 45 seconds we heard the noise and we didn't know if anything had happened and then we started getting pictures from neighbors and we thought 'Oh my gosh'."
According to Assistant Fire Chief Jack Crandall with Virginia Beach Fire Department, acting quickly possibly saved the lives of some people.
"It’s just incredible and it’s a testament to the alert system, too," he said. "I know a lot of these residents were alerted four or five minutes before the tornado came and it worked. People did what they were supposed to do they got in the safest place they could get in but it helped."
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In some of the yards, things like couches are exposed on the lawn; and other homes have exposed rooms. A couple of houses moved from their original foundations and are scheduled to be torn down.
Some homes miraculously look untouched.
Crandall said the real miracle is that no one got hurt
"Some of the second floors of these houses are completely gone and if they were on the second floor of the house they would be gone with it which is not an exaggeration, it's reality. And for nobody to be hurt or killed in this is just beyond measure it’s just incredible," said Crandall.
