14 Twisters in All Touched Down in Va.

In addition to the powerful twisters that struck the city of Suffolk and Stafford County on two recent days, at least 12 other tornadoes touched down elsewhere in Virginia on those days, according to the latest National Weather Service data.

Historically, the average number of tornadoes occurring in Virginia in a year is between 15 and 20, according to the state Department of Emergency Management.

The stormy weather that raced northward through Virginia and into Maryland Thursday night and Friday morning also set daily rainfall records for Friday at Reagan National and Baltimore-Washington International Marshall airports, and in Richmond, according to weather service figures.

Last week's heavy rainfall raised totals at National and Dulles airports above the normal figures both for the month and for the entire year. At National, the total for the year, 17.06 inches, is almost five inches more than at the same time last year. At Dulles, the total rainfall for the year, 15.27 inches, was 4.26 inches above last year's figure for the same date.

In addition to the Stafford County twister that damaged more than 140 houses Thursday night, the weather service said its survey teams confirmed three other Virginia tornadoes.

One touched down in Appomattox County, a second in Pittsylvania County, and the third was tracked from Henry County into Franklin County, according to the weather service.

All three of those twisters were rated at EF1 on the intensity scale; that implies maximum wind gusts between 86 and 109 mph. By contrast, the Stafford tornado was rated at EF2, indicating gusts between 110 and 137 mph.

The Appomattox tornado, which touched down west of Hixburg, according to the weather service, tore down many trees, and damaged two homes and two smaller structures.

In Pittsylvania, the weather service said, the tornado touched down about three miles southeast of Ajax, and raced along a track a mile and a half long, and 60 yards wide near Route 40, damaging homes and downing trees.

In Henry County, the third twister touched down north of Figsboro and moved north for about a mile, entering Franklin County, before lifting. About 75 yards wide at the most, it too tore down trees, in addition to damaging four houses.

In updating its report on the April 28 tornadoes that struck southeastern Virginia, the weather service said it had discovered the effects of an additional twister, raising the total number in that part of the state that day to 10. The 10th tornado struck Southampton County, the weather service said. The figure was still far less than the 18 tornadoes that caused death, injury and destruction in Southeast Virginia on Aug. 6, 1993.