4 Killed as Apparent Tornadoes Hit Virginia

WAVERLY, VA — Three people, including a 2-year-old, were found dead during Wednesday’s storms, thrown 300 yards from their mobile home in Waverly. A fourth victim was found late Wednesday in Appomattox.

A fierce line of storms tore through Virginia for hours, leading to the conditions in the town and causing destruction and power outages across most of the state.

The storm ripped through the small town in the early afternoon, damaging several buildings. There were reports of a funnel cloud, but officials have not confirmed there was a tornado.

More: Power Out for Nearly 4,000 in Northern Virginia Late Wednesday

The town’s 2,300 residents were under a curfew at dark Wednesday, with first responders expected to go door-to-door overnight to check on every resident.

Downed trees and other debris was reportedly so thick, driving or even walking through the city could be dangerous, according to a statement by Corinne Geller, spokesperson for the Virginia State Police.

Troopers first responded at 2:40 p.m. to reports of damage in the town along Route 40, southeast of Richmond.

The three bodies were identified as males, ages 50, 26 and 2. They were reportedly killed when their mobile home was destroyed. Their bodies have been sent to a state medical examiner for positive identification.

At least four other structures in town were damaged, but there were no other reports of missing persons.

More than 100 miles west, Appomattox County was also battered in the storm, with crews finding the remains of a man hours after his home was destroyed.

One photo shared by Virginia State Police reportedly shows a funnel cloud in Appomattox, but a tornado has not been confirmed.

There were seven confirmed injuries, with two residents seriously injured, and multiple structures damaged along Route 460 and Route 727, according to Geller.

Up to 4,000 residences were without power at 9:30 p.m. Students were still at Appomattox Primary School after bus rides home in the afternoon were cancelled for the students’ safety

At least 30 structures were also damaged after dark in Essex County and Tappahannock, according to Geller, with 25 reported injuries.

Photos, Virginia State Police

Appomattox storm damage.

State and local law enforcement took shelter inside an on-scene Command Post during the 2nd wave of storms in Waverly, Va.