Tornadoes and flash flooding left at least six people dead in Virginia, and crews are continuing to assess damage that severe weekend storms caused across several areas of the state.
Gov. Bob McDonnell on Sunday declared a state of emergency, authorizing state agencies to assist local efforts in response and recovery efforts.
Virginia Department of Emergency Management spokesman Bob Spieldenner said Sunday that three people died and scores suffered injuries in Gloucester County, where a tornado cut through a 12-mile swath, uprooting trees and destroying homes.
Gloucester officials said the tornado ripped the roof off Page Middle School and destroyed part of the building, as well as overturned school buses and cars.
Gloucester County school officials canceled classes April 18 after the tornado blew the roof off Page Middle School. School officials said classes for elementary and high school will resume April 19. Starting April 20, the 580 students who attend Page will attend Peasley Middle School, with Peasley students going to class in the mornings and Page students attending in the afternoons.
Dominion Virginia Power reported that tens of thousands of households lost electricity through the night, but that number fell to about 6,600 by mid-day on April 17. Most remaining outages were in the Gloucester and Northern Neck regions.
- New research challenges fears about AI in the classroom - February 5, 2026
- How the FY25 funding freeze impacts students across America - July 24, 2025
- ‘Buyer’s remorse’ dogging Common Core rollout - October 30, 2014