VA Tornadoes: Survivor Stories in Suffolk

By Lori D'Augostine
CBN.com Associate Producer

CBN.com --Virginia's largest city in terms of land mass, gained a new distinction yesterday, when it became ground zero for one of the worst storms this state has ever endured.

On Monday night, three tornadoes swept through central and southeast Virginia, injuring about 200 people and damaging hundreds of homes, cars and businesses. The National Weather Service said the most powerful of the storms touched down in Suffolk. Amazingly, there were no fatalities.

The emergency room at Sentara Obici Hospital tended to nearly 70 people with fractures, cuts and bruises. Out of those wounded, only three were admitted.

"It was amazing. A significant number of the patients walked in on their own free will, without any transportation," Sentara Healthcare spokesperson, Dale Gauding told CBN.com.

About a couple hundred yards away in the neighboring Burnetts Mill subdivision, these walking wounded treked up the hill to the hospital. Some were carrying other more seriously injured. Some even volunteered those worse than themselves to receive care first. Even off-duty physicians and surgeons came in to help.

Gauding says it is a miracle that the hospital was spared by the tornado. Only a few windows were damaged. Along the perimeter of the hospital lie large sheets of metal strewn across the lawn and wrapped around small trees.

These small Crape Myrtle trees prevented the metal from flying into the glass windows of the hospital.

One of the largest pieces of metal came close to damaging the entrance way into the Meditation Garden, a place of prayer and comfort for many patients.

"This piece of metal came from the shopping center across the street. It was heading at a high velocity, hit a tree, and was amazingly stopped before destroying this area," said Gauding.

The metal may have come from the strip mall on the corner of Godwin Boulevard and Burnetts Way. Lou Ramos' wife, Sarah, was dropping their daughter Kaylin off for work at Sal's Pizzeria when the tornado hit there.

Ramos says when Kaylin realized what was going on, she attempted to run to her mother's car. However, Sarah [mother] motioned Kaylin to go back into the pizzeria. No sooner Kaylin entered the building, she felt it collapse all around her.

Meanwhile, Sarah ducked down for cover in her car. The tornado force winds broke all the windows of the car, and she could literally feel the debris swirling around her.

"It is a miracle, that my daughter literally walked out of the ordeal with just one cut on her finger, and my wife is okay too," said Ramos.

Lou's wife was to be heading home to make him a special birthday dinner.

"My birthday gifts are still stuck in the trunk of the car. I'll eventually get them," Lou joked. "This is a birthday I won't forget. But at the same time, the greatest gift is that they both made it through this. That is the greatest gift I can be thankful for."

The Ramos family attend Open Door Church, a few miles down the road. The church has been offering supplies and ministering to the 51 people staying in the shelter at King's Fork High School.

Other volunteers such as CBN's Operation Blessing and The Chaplain's Ministry were camped outside of the shelter, providing food and counseling to families displaced from their homes. The Chaplain's Ministry tream also traveled to areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina two-and-a-half years ago.

"Our function is to help those who are under stress. In talking to the law enforcement, they feel the next few days will be more stressful. Many people are still trying to get to their houses," said Sr. Chaplain Jack Smith.

Dwayne Sherrick [a CBN employee], has been waiting patiently to get to his home all day. Sherrick has been a resident of the local area since 1992.

"I've also lived in Ohio and with all the tornadoes out there, I've never seen anything like this. When you look around at the damage, you wonder how people made it out alive."

Although Dwayne's house was too far from view behind the yellow tape, just in front of him, was the home of an elderly lady he knew.

"It is a miracle because that lady lived in that house three weeks ago. They just moved her into a nursing home. She may not have made it, if she was living there by herself," he said.

The residents of Suffolk are counting their blessings. From the hospital being virtually untouched to some people emerging from their sandwiched homes and cars nearly unscathed, it is undeniable that the city of Suffolk could have been much worse off.

Click here to see pictures of the tornado damage.

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