A tornado whipping winds at 95 mph tore across 4 miles of Augusta County on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
Winds snapped numerous trees, demolished several barns and flattened a trailer at Augusta Expoland in Fishersville.
The weather event was classified as a moderate F1 tornado after an investigator traveled from Sterling to the area southwest of Stuarts Draft.
While that investigation was going on, the city of Waynesboro closed as many as nine streets late in the afternoon to deal with rising waters from the day’s rain of 3 inches.
Waynesboro Police Sgt. Brian Edwards said police were putting up barricades on the streets because they could not post officers at all the involved streets. “We are hoping people won’t drive around the barricades,” he said.
The South River was expected to crest at 8 Saturday night at between 10 and 10 ½ feet in Waynesboro. Waynesboro Emergency Operations Director Gary Critzer said the river at that level would present only minor flooding.
Earlier Saturday, a portion of a vacant Waynesboro building collapsed, a victim of the strong winds and abundant rain. Capt. Allen Saum of the Waynesboro Fire Department said the front of the vacant building at 412 Ohio Street blew down around 2:30 p.m.
Saum said firefighters put barrier tape to warn any person in the area of the potential for further collapse of the building.
Meanwhile, heavy rains blanketed the area. By 4 p.m., NBC29 reported that Waynesboro had received 3 inches of rain. Staunton had recorded 1.6 inches of rain.
And rain continued to fall.
Waynesboro police spent much of the day responding to accidents caused by the nasty weather.
Edwards said cars at times hydroplaned into other cars because of poor visibility. Edwards said police also cautioned business owners in low-lying parts of the city to move merchandise off the floor because of potential flooding from city sewers and manholes.
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