VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — City officials say it will likely take months to get the Great Neck area back to normal, or as normal as it can be after an EF3 tornado ripped through the neighborhood.
Tuesday night, Virginia Beach City Council voted to unlock funds they hope can help.
Virginia Beach City Councilman Chris Taylor said he was shocked walking through Great Neck for the first time on Monday.
"I had never seen anything like that in my life," he said. "There were no words. It was just destruction."
He went back to the area he represents on Tuesday and said things are already looking a little better.
"Still a lot of debris, picking up the pieces, but I would say I’m happy to see the roads getting a little clearer, trying to get those school buses through those neighborhoods," Taylor said.
Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate said they still have a lot of officers in the area to help public works and independent contractors do their jobs.
"Our job is to maintain the traffic control. They are very concerned about the public safety aspect because you have large machinery in there. So, we’re trying to help them out to keep those that don’t need to be in that footprint out while they do the incredibly important work of stabilizing that neighborhood," he said.
During Tuesday night’s meeting, members of council voted to transfer vacancy savings from the current budget to cover tornado-related spending as necessary.
The city has said they’re looking at about $731,000 in public damage, so far.
Members of the council and Neudigate emphasized what a miracle it is that everyone is okay.
"By the grace of God, no one was injured," said Neudigate.
"...This unanticipated tragedy that thankfully didn’t result in any loss of life," said Councilman Joash Schulman, during the informal meeting.
Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson said she went inside one of the damaged homes and also saw the devastation firsthand.
"We need to keep everyone in our prayers," she told her fellow councilmembers.
Taylor said through it all, he’s relieved to see some of those homeowners still in good spirits.
"I was happy to see some of the residents smiling outside. They realize what a miracle this was and, as unfortunate the property loss is, we’re just happy there were no injuries and no casualties," he said.
The Great Neck Recreation Center is still available for anyone who needs to come by to charge their phone or take a shower.
If you need any additional assistance call 311.