#Virginia hit with Christmas Eve tornado as rain, wind batters East Coast

A Christmas Eve tornado has left tens of thousands of people without power in Virginia.

The tornado struck the coastal city of Suffolk late Thursday, after numerous tornado warnings were issued in areas of North and South Carolina, according to Newsweek.

Local fire departments reported multiple downed trees and power lines, but no one was injured and no other significant damage was found.

“Please remain safe traveling the roadways – many roadways in the area have standing water on them as well as debris,” the Courtland Volunteer Fire Department wrote in a Facebook post.

Forecasters warned that heavy rainfall, compounded by melting snow, could lead to flooding and roof collapses along the East Coast.

“The rapidly melting snow, which contains approximately 1-3 inches of water will combine with an anticipated 1-3 inches of rain and locally higher amounts from the storm from Christmas Eve to early Christmas Day,” Brett Anderson, a senior meteorologist for AccuWeather, said.

More than 100,000 people in New York and New Jersey woke up without power on Christmas morning, as heavy rains and strong winds battered the East Coast.