The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
A small tornado ripped through Sandbridge early Saturday as Hurricane Irene bore down on the isolated beachfront community. The twister reportedly tore the roofs off at least five homes and damaged several others hours before the worst of the hurricane was forecast to pass through.
The brunt of the damage was reported in the 3300 block of Sandpiper Road, said Mary Hancock, a spokeswoman for the city. All of the damaged homes were unoccupied when the tornado hit around 10 a.m., Hancock said, and no injuries had been reported by late Saturday afternoon.
Photographs taken by firefighters showed the side of one house had been torn off.
The city ordered a mandatory evacuation of Sandbridge a day earlier. The community is flanked by water, and its roads tend to flood during big storms.
Most people obeyed the evacuation order, Hancock said, but a handful of residents opted to wait it out. Phone and power lines were reportedly downed in Sandbridge by midday, as some family members turned to Twitter and Facebook in an attempt to contact loved ones who hunkered down there.
Emergency crews responded to the scene of the tornado to assess damage and check for injuries, but soon after they took shelter as hurricane-force winds moved into the area Saturday afternoon.
"They will not be responding to emergency calls," Hancock said. "It's not safe for them to be out there."
And as for those residents who chose to stay?
"There's nothing we'll be able to do for them," Hancock said.
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Incorrect: never stopped responding
For the record, the story is incorrects as the police and firefighters did not stop responding at any point during Irene. We took any and all 911 calls and responded 100% of the time. Mrs Hancock wasn't with us and it would appear somebody provided her incorrect information. It would be nice If the article was corrected.
Btw: thanks to all of those who did listen to the mandatory evacuation order. I and the crews appreciate your support during the hurricane and storm surge.
In Sandbidge
I am speaking about Sandbridge just to be clear and not the rest of this city.
To 1969....114....and 65.
Easy, guys...you don't know me. I'm an NRA Lifer, who believes that "Homeland Security" is a good .223 carbine, a few Glocks, and a 12 gauge. I fly both Old Glory and a Gadsden, and believe in what both stand for. I love my Country, owe no one, and could best be called a Conservative Libertarian. I'm not "Mr. Big Government" by a long shot...OK?
Having said that...I think that when people can't be trusted to do the right thing...then we have to get laws passed to force them. That goes for Wall Street, banks, big business, felons & others. In the case of builders, without laws, there are some who would put up anything for a buck. An ICF home is much stronger than a stick-built, and not much more expensive.
I stand by what I said.
To whom it may concern - the house in not on sandpiper rd.
The picture says the house is on sandpiper but all oceanfront houses and semi-oceanfrnt houses are on sandfiddler rd in Sandbridge - just for accuracy
Thanks
We have updated the caption.
Wow.....who built them?
I'm glad no one was hurt in those Sandbridge homes. I have to compliment the VB officials who got them out before the houses were hit.
Having said that...I have a question for anyone here who is involved either in government, or the building trades:
Why are people allowed to build "stick homes" in hurricane-prone areas?
Why isn't there a code that says: "if you want to build in an area that is subject to hurricanes...you can't use wood-frames....you have to build with concrete and steel, with construction that will survive a CAT 4 hurricane. Period! No exceptions!"
What's the point of a building code, if they allow this kind of crap by the water?
Are you for real?
You know the point of living on the beach is to get away from it all. You have a comfort that is unlike living within the city limits and with that comes the ups and the downs. Those who live on the beach take that into concern and the can afford it. But, what they don't need is useless government intervention into their personnel lives and opinions of thsoe that don't live even live on the beach. So, my question to you Mr. Big Government is why are you even bothered with the issue. What is basis for concern? Are you being taxed to pay for their homes? Are you having money taken from you to pay for the construction? I feel its only your jealousy and envy that is driving your post. They've earned the right to live their, leave them alone and
Why, you're right!
I agree completely... big brother government knows best. Thank heavens they're around to take care of the stupid pesants, who are incapable of making a decision and being responsible for their actions/property. Thank heavens for rigid codes and the government's ability to always tell the people what's best for them. I tell you, if it wasn't for the government making sure that people don't do stupid things or make stupid decisions, we'd be nothing more than savages living in ignorance and squalor. Thank heaven for big government.
Hmm
instead of asking on a newspaper web page why not start asking this question in front of city counsel meetings and start pushing for changes through national building codes? Keep in mind though that the cost for such homes could be far greater than most anyone could afford and if it was only five homes damaged then the cost wouldn't justify the change in code.