Not one, but two tornadoes touched down in our area amidst Helene, an EF-2 in Pittsylvania, and an EF-1 in Bedford.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service are making their rounds in locations hit hard by the effects of Helene. Their goal is to use this data to help with storm warnings in the future.
We spoke to Adam Baker, a Science and Operations Officer at the National Weather Service in Blacksburg.
“As we go through and access the type of damage in this case several softwood trees snapped, then it gives us a range of what type of wind actually caused it,” said Baker. “Knowing if it were a tornado or not means that we can go back and look at our radar data and apply that if we see rotation in the radar data or is it something to where it’s maybe a microburst where it’s a downdraft to a thunderstorm. It helps us with the research but it ultimately helps with us getting the warnings out better.”
This assessment was being done on a house in Bedford County off of Dickerson Mill Road, where a tornado warning was issued. In this case, most of what was in the backyard made its way into the front yard, even the trampoline.
“We started hearing swooshing sounds and everything started going around in a circle outside and we just thought it was a tornado because it was swooshing and stuff like that,” said Raegan Henritze, Bedford Resident
There was also another team out in Pittsylvania County on Dry Fork Road. They determined at EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 118 mph struck the community. At least 20 homes were damaged, and one trailer was destroyed.
Robyn Hardy and her family were at home when the tornado struck and ran outside after it passed.
“And I saw that my neighbor’s trailer was completely demolished and splintered and she was hanging out,” Hardy said. “My son called 911 and we tried to dig them out before they came.”
The neighbor was taken to the hospital for treatment.
“So grateful, so grateful. I don’t think I’ve ever been more grateful,” Hardy said.
Baker has been with the National Weather Service for 15 years and even he was surprised by what Helene brought.
”I’ve never seen a low-pressure system quite this strong and fast-moving to come in from the tropics,” he said.