While the University escaped Ivan relatively unscathed, the former category-four hurricane wreaked havoc on several parts of Northern Virginia.
Gov. Mark R. Warner declared a state of emergency for Virginia on Friday in preparation for the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan.
Although Ivan was downgraded to a tropical depression as it approached Virginia Friday, the storm still produced tornadoes with 200-mph winds and caused significant damage throughout the state. Forty-seven roads were closed throughout the state at the peak of the storm on Friday, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
University Spokesperson Carol Wood said yesterday she had heard of no damage to University facilities.
Albemarle County received a tornado warning Friday afternoon, indicating that a severe thunderstorm with strong rotation had been spotted in the area. On Friday night, local emergencies were declared in Greene, Bedford, Henry and Amherst Counties due to strong winds and tornadic activity.
Virginia experienced 40 unconfirmed tornadoes on Friday alone, according to Dawn Eischen, spokesperson for the State Department of Emergency Management.
The National Weather Service will confirm the official number and severity of the tornadoes within the next week, she said.
"It is possible that some of the damage might be attributed to straight line winds not, in fact, tornadoes," Eischen said. "Once they visit these counties, we will know more."
Last year, Virginia experienced 31 tornadoes for the entire 2003 year, Eischen said.
"So in one day, we have experienced more than the record of the entire previous year," she said. "And last year was a record-breaking year as well."
At least 15 homes were destroyed, and an additional 1,920 homes suffered major or minor damage, Eischen said. Prince Henry County and Fauquier County received the most damage.
According to Virginia Power Spokesperson Jim Norvelle, 74,000 customers were without power at 5 p.m. Friday. Norvelle said that Northern Virginia experienced the greatest impact from the tropical storm in terms of electrical outages. Leesburg and Warrenton were the hardest hit areas, and the second-most affected area was Richmond, where 25,000 customers lost power Friday.
In the greater Charlottesville area, 4,120 customers have gone without power since the beginning of the weekend, but only 26 customers remain without power currently in Charlottesville.
"It was a busy weekend," Norvelle said. "But it will not be as large an expense in comparison to last year's Hurricane Isabelle, which ended up costing approximately $130 million dollars altogether."
Although the weekend's storm was quite destructive, it did not bring an enormous amount of rainfall with it. The Department of Emergency Management reported no major or minor flooding, although the Rivanna River Reservoir was several feet higher than usual.
In addition, the State Medical examiner has reported no deaths related to the storm. Five injuries were reported in Northern Virginia, Eischen said.
Later this week, all localities will determine the destruction incurred during the storm and send their damage reports to the Department of Emergency Management which will then make a recommendation to Warner, she said.
Eischen said that emergency management inspectors will then come out with state officials to inspect uninsured damages to determine whether they can offer assistance. Finally, recommendations will be sent to the President for review for Federal disaster funds.
Last year, following Hurricane Isabelle, aid was received within 24 hours, Eischen said. Since Ivan was more scattered, it could be more difficult for select counties to receive aid quickly.
It could take months to years for all recipients to receive aid, Eischen said. Damage control from last year's Hurricane Isabelle is still continuing.
"This tropical storm will not be the end either," Eischen said. "Hurricane season ends Nov. 30"
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