HANOVER COUNTY, VA (WWBT) – The National Weather Service confirms a tornado went through part of Hanover County on Monday afternoon, leaving a barn flattened and trees down on several properties near Rockville.
The NWS stated an EF-1 tornado traveled along Rockville Road for roughly a mile between 1:33 p.m. and 1:38 p.m. with 85-95 mile per hour winds.
A 15-year-old barn near the Hanover-Goochland County line was destroyed.
“I got the alert on my phone and then instantly heard a roar,” said Betty, a neighbor. “The house started shaking and then all of a sudden everything was fine. I walked outside and then noticed the barn was gone.”
“It’s awful,” said James Attikisson, who lives nearby.
The former property owner was there Tuesday morning as utility crews replaced a pole that snapped in half near the barn on Rockville Road.
The barn was used to house farming equipment and hay bales.
Some of those hay bales flew across the area into a field nearby. Tin siding, insulation and other items from inside the barn were also carried into the wood and other neighbor’s properties.
“Here’s the barn siding that was destroyed down the road,” Attkisson said point to his backyard. Attkisson’s property sits less than a half-mile down the road.
A tree removal company was there Tuesday cleaning up the mess the tornado left on his property.
“It didn’t really hurt the house that much, but my truck is in the carport and it broke that in half,” Attkisson said. “There are trees all around the house and in the yard.”
Three large oak trees were uprooted in Attkisson’s backyard. People who passed by his home could barely see the front door due to the number of trees which fell in his front yard.
“I just heard a loud roar and wind was howling really hard and the rain was beating down real hard on the roof,” Attkisson said.
Pieces of the barn could also be seen in a subdivision past Attkisson’s home. Neighbors there were working on cleaning up the mess the EF-1 tornado left behind.
“It’s a big mess,” Attkisson said.
Attkisson estimates the cost of damage to his property in the $20,000 range. He’s also contacted his insurance company about the effects from the tornado.
At this point, the cost of the damage to the barn is unknown, however the former property owner estimates it to be a “hefty” number.
Many people slowed down on the road to take photos of the damage and said they’re hoping the owners rebuild.
by Karina Bolster (2018, September 18)
