WAVERLY, Va. (WVEC) -- Two men and a young boy were killed when their mobile home was destroyed by a tornado-producing storm in Waverly on Wednesday afternoon.
Virginia State Police say all three were found approximately 300 yards from the mobile home. Family members say 2-year-old Ian Lewis, 26-year-old Devine Stringfield, and 50-year-old Larry Turner were killed in the storm. Eight other people were injured, but are expected to survive.
"He was a good person, loving person," said Walter Turner, uncle of Larry Turner. "He showed so much of his love to each of us and to the people he knows."
"Only thing we can do is stay close to one another, love one another," said Ernest Turner, another uncle of Larry Turner. "It really hurt, but we got to be strong for one another."
"And the little baby, he was two-years-old, he would not leave Larry's side," added Ernest. "Everywhere Larry goes, he had the baby with him and Larry did not leave that baby by himself."
The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado with wind speeds of 100 to 110 mph touched down in Waverly. The tornado began a few miles south-southwest of the small Sussex County town and had a width the size of three football fields. In about ten minutes, the tornado left a nine-mile path of destruction, with numerous trees downed, two mobile homes destroyed and several businesses damaged.
Several other tornados are suspected of forming around the state, including one believed to have killed a man in Appomattox.
Police say at least four other structures were damaged within the town limits. There are no reports of any missing persons.
"I'm just shocked for seeing everything with the debris and everything flying up," said Desmond Gardner, a Waverly resident. "Big ball of fire from the power lines and debris smacking against my car as I was sitting in it, and I heard that I lost a good friend today, so my prayers go out to their family."
Officials have put a 7 p.m. curfew into effect for residents Thursday night as crews keep working to clean the town of debris leftover from Wednesday's storms. This is the second consecutive night the town of Waverly has been placed under a curfew.
State police are now taking control of the investigation. They responded to incidents of severe storm damage Wednesday along Route 40.
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Due to significant debris from the storm, much of Route 460 and Route 40 are impassable and there are reports of flooding and high water in the area.
VDOT is in the process of setting up detours. In the meantime, motorists are advised to delay or avoid travel in that area.
State Police Sgt. Michele Anaya says troopers were called to assist local authorities Wednesday afternoon. She did not know the extent of the damage, exactly where it occurred or whether there were any injuries.
Anaya said she could not confirm a twister, although the county was under a tornado warning when the damage occurred.
Workers who answered the phone at the Sussex County Sheriff's Office and the Waverly Fire Department said all first responders were out and nobody was available to provide information.
USA averages 29 tornadoes in February. They usually occur in the South. @NOAANCEIclimate pic.twitter.com/JHev1rQgLj
— USA TODAY Weather (@usatodayweather) February 24, 2016
State of Emergency in Appomattox
Waverly wasn't the only area of Virginia to see major damage from Wednesday's storms.
Appomattox County is declaring a state of emergency after the storm damaged scores of buildings, injured several people and killed one man.
County Administrator Susan Adams said by phone Thursday morning that about 100 structures were damaged. She says about 20 of those were severely damaged, including some that were flattened. She says those numbers may go up as damage is assessed around the county.
Adams says the governor has been informed of the extent of the damage and may visit the area Thursday.
Police say a funnel cloud left an 8- to 10-mile path of destruction in In Appomattox County, Virginia, where one man was killed.
Storms hammer the South
Wednesday's deadly storms are part of a large system that has worked its way east, and across the Deep South.
At least three people were killed Tuesday night as strong storms and tornadoes blasted through the southern U.S.
One person died in Lamar County, Miss., during the severe weather. Two others died when a suspected tornado slammed into the Sugar Hill RV Park near Convent, La.
A possible tornado destroyed 24 units and damaged six others at the Moorings Apartments in Pensacola, Fla., Escambia County officials said. More than 20,000 Georgia customers were without power after the storms, utilities reported Wednesday morning.
The U.S. averages 29 tornadoes in February — most often forming in the Deep South, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
