Farm Losses From Virginia Tornadoes Climbing

Farm losses from a series of tornadoes that battered Virginia last month stand at $1.6 million and counting.

The Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. says it has received 126 claims since the twisters swirled from Southside Virginia to the Northern Neck.

Rick Mattox is vice president of claims for the insurer. He said he expects those claims to rise as high as $2.5 million.

The tornadoes left five dead, dozens injured and hundreds of homes and businesses either destroyed or damaged.

One of the tornadoes hit Patrick County. Cooperative Extension agent Travis Bunn said the winds scattered roofing and debris around the county. A hay baler was blown down a hill, crashing into woods.

In Essex County, the Virginia Department of Forestry identified timber losses of about $750,000.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Profit Loss Windstorm Agribusiness Virginia