The Franklin News-Post
P. O. Box 250
310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
540-483-5113
Fax: 540-483-8013
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Staff Photo by Morris Stephenson
A 2000 Volvo, replica of a 1950 Porsche and a 1987 Volvo were heavily damaged Thursday afternoon when a large cherry tree fell across the vehicles at the home of John Speidel at 580 South Main Street in Rocky Mount. |
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
By K.A. WAGONER - Staff Writer
Television reports of a tornado touching down in eastern Franklin County Thursday afternoon were exaggerated, according to public safety officials.
The Franklin County Department of Public Safety did not receive any calls for service due to a tornado, said Division Chief of Operations Billy Ferguson.
"There was no tornado reported in Penhook," Ferguson said. "There were reports of minor street flooding in Redwood and Glade Hill, but no tornado."
School Board and Staves Mill roads were covered with water, which is not unusual during periods of heavy rain, he added. And there were several reports of trees down in the area of Walnut Street and Tanyard Road.
Franklin County Sheriff Ewell Hunt said no reports were made to the sheriff's office regarding a tornado. Dispatch only received calls to report wind damage, downed trees and minor flooding, he added.
The National Weather Service (NWS) instruments on Scuffling Hill measured seven-tenths of an inch of rain in Rocky Mount during the storm. However, a resident on South Main Street reported 2 inches in his rain gauge following the storm.
The NWS issued a tornado warning for eastern Franklin County at 2:18 p.m. Thursday. About 20 minutes later, the weather service reported that Doppler radar indicated a tornado near Penhook, moving east at 15 mph.
As a precaution, three county elementary schools delayed the release of students until 3:05 p.m. Students at Burnt Chimney, Dudley and Glade Hill elementary schools were removed from the classrooms and relocated to the interior hallways to ensure their safety.
The tornado warning for Franklin County expired at 3:15 p.m.
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