VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Dozens of homes in Great Neck are uninhabitable after an EF3 tornado tore through Virginia Beach Sunday evening.
Now, many families in that neighborhood are trying to find somewhere to stay long-term.
Virginia Beach real estate agent Windy Cruthfield told 13News Now that real estate agents in the area are working together right now to find housing options for people displaced.
A spokeswoman for the City of Virginia Beach said nine homes in the neighborhood are destroyed, and 36 have major structural damage. She said 33 homes had minor damage.
“At this time, when we’ve already had a housing shortage, this is hitting this community particularly hard,” Crutchfield said.
She said some people are looking for four-to-five-bedroom homes to fit their families, but they may need to split up if they have a lot of adults in the home who can. She noted there are some one-bedroom options available nearby.
“We are definitely coming up short,” Crutchfield said. “People are having to realize the sacrifices they need to make and they are adjusting their expectations accordingly.”
Aside from an already slim market, Crutchfield said people are competing with military families, NATO families from overseas and vacationers.
“We have some short-term rentals in Sandbridge, but a lot of that becomes weekly rentals at the end of this month,” Crutchfield said.
Crutchfield created the Facebook group "Emergency Housing Great Neck" to try and find more housing options. She’s asking people in the community to reach out if they can help.
“What we need are people who are ready willing and able to provide housing,” Crutchfield said. “There are a lot of people in this area who have second homes.”
Crutchfield said many families are getting quotes for repairs from insurance that put them on a six-month timeline, but with 18 years in the business, she said finding the right contractor and getting the job done will likely take a year.
A spokeswoman for the City of Virginia Beach said there is an estimated $16,984,355 in residential damage.