Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 5, 1993 TAG: 9306050366
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LESLIE TAYLOR and STEPHEN FOSTER STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The worst injuries apparently occurred in Salem, where a mother and her daughter were critically hurt when a tree fell on their car.
Isolated thunderstorms first hit around 3 p.m., producing golf ball-size hail at Smith Mountain Lake, said Mark Cunningham, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Another line of severe thunderstorms followed between 5 and 6 p.m.
"It was bad," Cunningham said. "It was real bad."
Gusts of 75 mph were recorded at Roanoke Regional Airport at 5:21 p.m. Gusts of that speed during a severe thunderstorm are not unusual, Cunningham said.
High winds, fallen trees and lightning knocked power out for up to 45,000 customers in Appalachian Power Co.'s Roanoke division - 30,000 in the Roanoke Valley, said Apco spokeswoman Victoria Ratcliff.
In the New River Valley, 40,000 of Apco's 100,000 customers in the Pulaski division were without power, said Glenda Wohlford, an Apco administrative assistant.
In West Salem, a woman and her daughter were trapped for two hours when an ancient oak fell on their car as they drove along Butt Hollow Road.
The driver, Carol Collins, 41, of the 2700 block of Fletcher Street in Salem, was transported by helicopter to Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition. Patricia C. Keesling, 23, also was listed in critical condition.
A witness, Jennifer Caldwell, was closing the windows in her house when she saw a bolt of lightning strike the tree, toppling it upon the passing car.
Caldwell, a freshman at Salem High School, ran to the road and tried to comfort the woman in the passenger seat.
"I tried to talk to her, but she was just screaming, `Let me out! Let me out!' "
Rescue workers were hampered by downed electrical lines and the size and weight of the oak. They hoisted the tree off the car with a crane and then cut away sections of the car to free the women.
In Roanoke, Police Sgt. E.M. Legg said there were downed power lines and trees all over the city. There were no significant accidents or fires, she said.
Wendi Schultz, executive director for Roanoke's Festival in the Park, still sounded upbeat, even after the Marty Stuart concert scheduled for Friday night at Victory Stadium was canceled when high winds blew down the stage.
The winds blew down vendors' booths and tents in Elmwood Park and downed a tree on Jefferson Avenue, where 5-kilometer and 10-kilometer races are to be run today.
Schultz said the festival events would go on as scheduled today. "All in all, we're really lucky," she said. "We're very wet, but other than that, what can you do about the weather? We're disappointed."
First Fridays at Five was postponed until next Friday.
Roanoke County Fire Marshal Donald Gillispie said one house fire, and maybe two others, were caused by lightning during the storm.
Larry Logan, deputy fire chief for Roanoke County, said one serious auto accident occured, on Jae Valley Road. The victims, who were temporarily trapped inside their car, suffered broken bones and cuts, but no life-threatening injuries, a dispatcher said later Friday.
"The biggest problem is lines down," he said. "We've got tons all around the county."
Lt. S.A. Clark of the Salem Police Department, called storm damage "severe" after surveying city neighborhoods.
The city street and fire departments were working Friday evening to clear up trees and fallen power lines, Clark said. Several roads were closed, he said.
"It looks like it's going to be a while before we get things cleaned up," he said. "By tomorrow, things should be fairly back to normal."
In Botetourt County, Capt. G.W. Guilliams with the sheriff's office estimated the department received 125-150 phone calls reporting trees blocking roads, rock slides and downed lines during the second storm.
Staff writer David M. Poole contributed information to this story.
by CNB