Newport News, Va. - Crews got to work early Friday morning in the Carlton Falls neighborhood of Newport News, putting tarps over damaged roofs that just last night, were covered with trees.
One house on Creekstone Drive belonged to a retired James City County police officer, who was at home when the huge branches tore a hole through her ceiling.
Down the street, was yet another casualty.
"The whole corner of the house, from top to bottom, and the whole corner of the deck, it was crushed," said Kevin McDermott.
His renters, a German couple, had just moved in, and were on their brand new back deck watching the storm move through.
"They were sitting there, and her husband said, 'I think we should move,' and right as they moved, and she had gotten into the house, the tree fell right behind her," said McDermott
That wasn’t the only close call. Buddy Williams says his neighbor was outside trying to move his car to safety and got out of the way just as a tree came crashing down.
"He made it by a couple of seconds, got into his garage, the door was open, before that tree laid right here," said Williams.
It crashed onto Buddy's white Ford Ranger denting the roof, and shattering his front window.
Many in the Creekside neighborhood couldn’t help but think it was a tornado.
"I looked out, and I've never seen anything like it; all the water just went straight up in the air, like it was raining upside-down."
