STAFFORD -- David Skaja looked outside in time to see a tornado twist through a nearby yard and devour the entire second floor of a house across the street.

"It looked like it was getting sucked up straight into the air," Skaja said of the house, one of more than two dozen that officials said were destroyed by a tornado about 10:30 p.m. Thursday.

Jeff Leonard was upstairs in the blasted house just as Skaja watched it being blown away.

Roused from his bed by the sight of the room's windows bulging in and out, he rushed to get his 25-year-old son from his bedroom when winds of up to 120 mph carried away the roof and most of the walls.

The impact knocked him onto his son and showered them with rubble that split Leonard's scalp, requiring a trip to the hospital, where the gash was stapled together.

"One second, I had a house, the next second -- boom -- and the house was gone," Leonard said.

Leonard's head wound was one of only two injuries, none life-threatening, reported after the tornado cut a 4-mile swath through Stafford County.

Hardest hit was England Run subdivision, where Leonard and Skaja live across Limestone Way from each other.

At least 160 houses were damaged in the neighborhood, said County Administrator Anthony Romanello, including 30 that have been declared a total loss.

By late yesterday, county Fire Chief Bob Brown was estimating damage at more than $10 million, but he was expecting the figure to rise.

Residents said the tornado blasted in amid a lurid red-and-green sky laced with lightning that sent many people rushing into their basements.

Debbie Rooney said she evacuated her 14-year-old daughter from her bedroom just before a window exploded and showered the girl's pillow with shards.

Winds stripped vinyl siding, asphalt shingles and porches from houses, and officials declared many homes uninhabitable. Flying debris punched holes through houses. In Skaja's case, the wind pulled a 4-by-8-foot sheet of plywood from his roof, allowing the house to fill with rain.

Tierra Wooten said the storm left as quickly as it came after blowing a tree into the roof of her parents' home and pelting the house with lawn furniture and debris.

"Five minutes later, it was over," Wooten said.

Officials advised residents yesterday on how to seek permits to repair damage and avoid unscrupulous builders who might try to take advantage of their predicaments.

The county opened a center today at the Berea fire station to distribute information on repairs and permits. It also set up a hot line at (540) 658-5751.

The tornado was one of two that struck Virginia as thunderstorms rolled northeast across the state Thursday night and yesterday morning.

The National Weather Service confirmed yesterday that a smaller tornado, producing 86to 110-mph winds, struck Henry and Franklin counties south of Roanoke about 8 p.m. Thursday.

In addition, straight winds of about 100 mph damaged several buildings along a milelong path in Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburg, the weather service said.

In central Virginia, the storms flooded some roads and toppled trees.

A fire apparently sparked by lightning caused significant damage early yesterday at the El Cafetal restaurant at 4150 Meadowdale Blvd. in Chesterfield County.

The storms dropped an estimated 1 to 5 inches of rain in central Virginia and possibly more in places.

Parts of Chesterfield and the Petersburg area got 2½ to 4 inches; parts of Louisa and Fluvanna counties got 2 to 5 inches; and Richmond got more than 2 inches.

The rain was a benefit for a region emerging from drought, weather service meteorologist Wayne Albright said.

The Richmond area could get more rain today, and thunderstorms are likely again tomorrow.
Contact Lawrence Latané III at (804) 333-3461 or llatane@timesdispatch.com.

Staff writer Mark Bowes contributed to this report.