Many 'still repairing homes' one year after Virginia Beach tornado

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — One year after an EF-3 tornado touched down and destroyed homes in the Great Neck area of Virginia Beach, neighbors say the road to recovery is slow and "takes a lot of patience."

When you go into the Broad Bay and Chelsea neighborhoods, you’ll still see many construction vehicles, especially on Haversham Close. More than a half dozen homeowners there had to rebuild.

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It’s still a work in progress and some say the permitting process has been lengthy.

A few homes remain almost untouched. One on Queens Elm Place still has tarps on the roof. Neighbors say the plan is to have it torn down.

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“Those whose homes had to be replaced, none of them are back in their homes yet,” explained resident Larry Torrence. “But many of them are still repairing homes. It’s a lengthy process that takes a lot of patience.”

Torrence had to replace his roof, siding, and windows, but says they were fortunate to be able to stay in their home during this time and most importantly, no one was injured.