PULASKI COUNTY, Va. – Thursday marks 10 years since the most destructive tornado to ever hit the New River Valley. The towns of Pulaski and Draper will never forget this day.
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These two infamous tornadoes occurred in the early evening hours of April 8, 2011, around 7:30 p.m. Nine people were injured, but thankfully, no one died. However, both towns reported severe damage.
This line of damage extended from I-81 near Exit 92 near Draper and extended all the way into Pulaski before going back up into the sky. According to the National Weather Service, the Pulaski tornado was a bit stronger (an EF-2 with winds of 125 mph) than the Draper tornado (an EF-1 with winds of 86-100 mph).
Several roads were closed due to fallen trees and hundreds of homes were damaged, causing anywhere between $5-$8.5 million in property damage.
Please let this be a reminder that tornadoes can occur anywhere, anytime. And now that we in April, we have entered one of the most active severe weather times of the year. Spring is when we see the most severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
If you haven’t already, now would be a good time to download Your Local Weather Authority weather app on Apple or Google Play. We will always vow to keep you ahead of the storm.