SUFFOLK
Emergency officials are putting together disaster plans today and said that city inspectors have condemned 140 to 145 homes damaged or destroyed by Monday's tornado that left dozens injured.
This afternoon, the National Weather Service confirmed that a total of six tornadoes touched down Monday in southeastern Virginia.
The three new tornadoes added to the list this afternoon were in the Carrsville area of Isle of Wight County, the Claremont area of Surry County and along the Gloucester-Mathews County border. At least a dozen homes and some farm buildings were destroyed, but nobody was injured in those tornadoes.
Mike Rusnak of the weather service says those three twisters were significantly weaker than one that slammed Suffolk. The other tornadoes were in Colonial Heights and Brunswick County.
Dogs are searching debris in buildings that rescuers couldn't reach overnight, city officials said during a media briefing. Some residents who evacuated yesterday haven't been allowed back into their homes.
Mark Outlaw of the city's fire department said searchers haven't found anyone trapped in the debris. A gas leak in one neighborhood slowed their work, he said.
City officials said that they know of no fatalities caused by the storm and that most of the injuries suffered during the storm were limited to broken bones and cuts. One death that officials initially reported yesterday as being storm-related now is thought to have been from natural causes, city officials said.
About 70 people were treated for cuts and bruises at Sentara Obici Hospital, according to hospital administrator Phyllis Stoneburner. Three were admitted to the hospital, but none with life-threatening injuries.
"The only thing we ask right now is patience and understanding," said Mayor Linda Johnson. "It's pretty difficult not to cry. I've lived here for 44 years and never seen anything like this."
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine this afternoon is meeting with residents affected by the tornado and tour heavily damaged neighborhoods, according to his spokesman.
Damage and clean-up
Public Works Director Eric Nielsen said about 70 public works employees have fanned out across the city to begin the cleanup.
Nielsen estimated the cleanup at Burnetts Mill subdivision, near Sentara Obici Hospital, would take three to four days. He said the damage is in a relatively limited area.
"We've gotten a lot of offers of assistance," he said.
Suffolk Mayor Linda Johnson named more than a dozen other agencies that have assisted in the response to the tornado, including the FBI, the National Guard and the state Alcohol Beverage Control Board.
Lina Kennedy, a risk manager for the city, said she didn't know of any damage to any public buildings, but that their assessment continues as well.
Closures, cancelations
Suffolk Public Schools were closed today and officials are had not made a decision about tomorrow as of 1:53 p.m.
Administrators also are weighing how road closured that could continue tomorrow could affect school buses, schools spokeswoman Bethanne Bradshaw wrote in an e-mail.
Earlier, school officials said that front windows were broken at Elephant's Fork Elementary School, but there was no structural damage. Downed trees were blocking the driveway with cars damaged and three mobile three mobile classrooms displaced.
At Driver Elementary, school officials said earlier, a skylight was damaged and officials were inspecting the facilities.
Nansemond Suffolk Academy is closed.
The Western Tidewater Health District medical clinic at 402 Grace St. in Smithfield is closed today because of damage.
No damage has occured at Paul D. Camp Community College's Suffolk or Franklin campuses. Normal class schedules are in effect Tuesday.
Roads information
Several roads are closed in the Driver area.
Va. Route 10 (Godwin Boulevard) from Obici corridor to Kings Fork Road is closed.
Sleepy Hole Road at Driver site transmitter is closed.
U.S. Business 460 from Elephant's Fork to Meade Parkway is closed.
Rt. 58 will be closed at Rt. 10 in both directions from 7-7:45 p.m. so that Dominion Power can do line repair. Police recommend that travel on Rt. 58 in that area be avoided if at all possible during that time.
Utilities
At 12:30 p.m., Dominion Virginia Power was reporting more than 1,500 customers were without power, mostly in the Chuckatuck section of Suffolk. At th height of the storm yesterday, about 12,000 customers were out of service.
Officials say they plan to have customers whose service can be restored back on by 11 p.m.
Weather forecast
More rain is expected across Hampton Roads, according to the National Weather Service. The chance of showers will continue through the early afternoon. Today's high is expected to be about 64.
Expect partly cloudy skies tonight with a low of about 43.
See the Weather channel for current conditions and extended forecasts.
Check PilotOnline.com for updates throughout the day on Suffolk's recovery plans and the latest announcements from city officials.
Virginian-Pilot staff writers Matthew Bowers, Cindy Clayton, Dave Forster and Hattie Brown Garrow contributed to this report.
