PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — From flooding to lightning, Mother Nature packed quite a punch in a short span of time on Wednesday.
The downpour left Harbor Park looking more like a swimming pool. The Norfolk Tides tweeted out this photo of the field under water.
“I ended wanting to leave early from work today so I could get home before it really started flooding,” said Diane Eastman.
She lives near East 26th Street in Norfolk, where rain filled roads with water. She said it’s a common occurrence and an inconvenience.
“I had to walk through the flood waters to get here,” Eastman said.
Lightning lit up the sky, but it also left its mark at Central Baptist Church on Colley Avenue. The strike caused damage to the roof.
Meanwhile, a Virginia Beach homeowner is counting his blessings.
“It’s wild. You never expect it to be you,” said Mark Klinefelter.
A bolt of lightning hit a tree in his front yard. His neighbor sent him a photo.
“Got a text and I couldn’t believe what I was coming home to,” Klinefelter said. “He said the sound alone was like an explosion went off. It shook his house.”
The force was so powerful it sent splinters of wood everywhere. We could still smell smoke in the air while we were at his home.
“You can see the path the actual lightning took all the way through the tree as it split it right down through the middle,” Klinefelter said.
A piece of wood got lodged in his window and he said a huge limb barely missed his car.
He’s glad it wasn’t worse.
“It’s awe-inspiring how much damage can ensue from a simple lightning strike,” Klinefelter said.
The winds over 60 mph in spots brought down a tree on I-664 South at the Bowers Hill interchange with I-264 in Chesapeake. At least one lane was closed.
Flooding closed Bainbridge Blvd. at the Triple Decker Bridge in Chesapeake for a period of time.
Hail dropped in several areas, including the Ocean View area of Norfolk and over the Chesapeake Bay northeast of Poquoson.
Since rain washed out the Tides game at Harbor Park, it will be made up in a double-header on Thursday at 12:05 p.m.
