GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Driving up and down Irvin Street in Goochland, the damage from Thursday night’s tornado is clear.
Goochland resident Christina Sanders witnessed the destruction from Thursday, June 16, firsthand from her front porch. “You could just see the big wooosh,” she said.
A nearly 300-year-old tree in Sanders’ backyard succumbed to the natural disaster, taking down a powerline in her backyard as it fell.
“We’ve got our meter boxes hanging down there, no power for God knows how long,” Sanders said.
A representative from Dominion Energy said about 3,000 homes were stripped of power because of the tornado. As of Friday afternoon, around 2,500 still remained without power. The company anticipated being able to restore power to the homes Friday evening, but warned of another incoming storm later on the same night.
“We know it’s frustrating to be without power and commit that our crews will continue to work around the clock until all customers are restored. We thank everyone for their patience while we complete these repairs,” a spokesperson for Dominion Energy wrote in a release.
Sanders’ next-door neighbor Norma Rowe also experienced immense property damage in the aftermath of the storm. She huddled in her basement, hiding with her family Thursday evening.
“My grandkids are helping us clean up the yard. The whole community has been affected by this. Everyone’s stopping to make sure everyone’s okay. Last night was a wonderful time because neighbors were stopping, helping neighbors,” Rowe said.
