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Tornado hits Westwood Tract, splits home on Union Presbyterian Seminary campus

Posted at 7:24 PM, Sep 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-19 20:07:47-04

RICHMOND, Va. -- A rescue dog for a family living in a house on Union Presbyterian Seminary had to be rescued again by first responders Monday when an 80-foot tall tree split through the home.

The trunk measured four and a half feet across and crews estimated the tree weighed around 50,000 pounds.

Two days after Monday's tornadoes touched down, crews like those with Wells Tree Service were still out cleaning up.

The massive tree that crashed through the home.

The massive tree that crashed through the home.

A massive crane was brought in to help with the tree removal while Wells' crew wielded large chain saws to cut through the tree.

"Oh, it was terrible," Wayne Wells, the owner of Wells Tree Service, said shortly after turning over his chainsaw to another crew member. "The trunk at the base was four and a half feet and the root ball as you say was about 10 feet, 12 feet tall."

Susan Wong who lives next door, had hunkered down inside a small room with the home's water heater as the tornado warning was issued.

"There was actually a wind coming through the door on the inside of the house, which is kind of strange," Wong remembered.

Mike Frontiero with Union Presbyterian Seminary was the family was not home when the tree came down.

"The Westwood Tract got hit," Frontiero said. "Several big trees came down."

Edison the rescue Beagle was inside and not injured .

The seminary has found a place on campus for the family.

Click here for complete coverage of historic tornado outbreak. Depend on WTVR.com and CBS 6 News for continuing coverage of this important local story. 

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