Virginia Beach city manager declares local state of emergency following tornado

Posted: Apr 30, 2023 / 11:24 PM EDT

Updated: May 1, 2023 / 01:22 PM EDT

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Virginia Beach City Manager Patrick Duhaney declared a local state of emergency following the tornado that hit Sunday evening.

The total number of homes damaged is unknown, but is estimated to be between 50 and 100, according to a release.

A spokesperson from Red Cross Virginia tells 10 On Your Side that they have not received a request for assistance from Virginia Beach as of Monday morning. The city says it is working with the United Way to set up a financial donation site.

The Great Neck Recreation Center, 2521 Shorehaven Drive, will be closed to the general public Monday, May 1, and will continue to serve exclusively to residents impacted by the storm starting at 7 a.m. Route 29 will be used as a detour until further notice.

Virginia Beach Public Schools also announced that Cox High School, Great Neck Middle School and John B. Dey Elementary School will all be closed on May 1 due to road closures and damages caused by the tornado.

Great Neck Road will remain closed between Cox High School and the bridge at Adam Keeling Road until further notice to allow for emergency and debris management work to occur.

Governor Glenn Youngkin also spoke out about the tornado, he urged everyone to stay safe.

I urge everyone to stay safe after the severe weather threat has ended in Virginia Beach.

In the meantime, 311 is available 24 hours a day for questions and reporting non-emergency conditions.
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) May 1, 2023

Delegate Karen Greenhalgh also issued the following statement regarding the tornado:

As the City begins the process of cleaning up and recovering from yesterday’s
severe weather, please remember that your legislators are a resource to the
community. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management will be keeping
Virginia Beach’s General Assembly delegation abreast of their efforts. Constituents
are always welcome to contact the offices of their elected representatives in times of need.
Statement from Delegate Karen Greenhalgh

The city will post updates about Sunday night’s severe weather on its emergency website, emergency.vbgov.com. Check this site for an up-to-date listing of impacted areas, road closures, programs and services. Cancellations and service changes will be posted on this site.

If you were impacted by the storm, the city asks that you report property damage to the Real Estate Assessor’s Office. Click here to report damage.

Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.