JAMES CITY COUNTY, Va. (WVEC) — James City County officials said that the National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touched down in the Norge area Thursday.
In a tweet, officials said there was damage at the Village at Candle Station, Colonial Heritage and Kristiansand.
There were no injuries, and at least 14 James City County homes were damaged by the storm, officials said.
PHOTOS: Tornado touches down in Norge area in James City County
In the Kristiansand neighborhood, Nina Ln. was hardest hit. The area took a direct hit from the tornado, downed trees led to an impassable road. On Friday morning, it was the first neighborhood the James City County Board of Supervisors responded to. None of the homes in the neighborhood were damaged by downed trees.
But when one of the trees came crashing down, it damaged three cars in a couple's driveway. Kayla Hall said her husband was sitting inside of their Toyota Corolla when the tree fell onto it. Luckily, he was not hurt.
"We have no words," said Hall.
"The cars can be replaced, we cannot. So we’re very grateful for that."
She was inside of the home during the tornado, but didn't realize what was going on while it happened.
"All of a sudden you hear all the debris hitting the windows and the train sound and the rain coming down. It took me a minute to process everything that was happening," said Hall.
She and her husband knew about the tornado warning, but never imagined it would happen where they live.
"It just kind of makes you take everything more seriously. All of the warnings that you hear, when to be prepared," said Hall.
Just across the street, Vanessa Godwin's home narrowly escaped being crushed by two large uprooted trees.
"We were oh so very lucky, absolutely. It missed our house completely," said Godwin.
She didn't realize the loudness of the wind was a tornado.
"All of a sudden you heard a freight train and you're, 'like what was that?' We’re close to the railroad tracks, but we’ve never heard it like that. So everybody got up and went to the center of the house and that’s when we heard it go through," said Godwin.
Neighbors living in the neighborhood said the tornado swept through the area quickly.
"It didn’t take long. Maybe 20 seconds? And then my husband came outside and saw the damage. We lost two major trees, uprooted from the bottom," said Godwin.
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