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Tornado With 95 MPH Winds Injures 5, Leaves 5-Mile Path Of Destruction Through Culpeper County

Five people were injured in a tornado that wreaked havoc across Culpeper County on Sunday night, May 26, according to the National Weather Service.

Culpepper tornado documented by IEM.

Culpepper tornado documented by IEM.

Photo Credit: Iowa Environmental Mesonet

The twister that began as a severe thunderstorm developed into a tornado in Rixeyville at 9:27 p.m., reaching winds up to 95 miles per hour, the NWS said.

The tornado touched down along Dunkard Church Road, snapping and uprooting trees in multiple directions. The tornado proceeded east- northeast and crossed Eggbornsville Road. In this area, two dozen trees were also snapped and uprooted in multiple directions.

The tornado passed over several homes and a church before winds picked up and overturned a large shed with five people inside, who were injured when the shed overturned. Another smaller shed was also overturned. 

One resident reported seeing the funnel touch down to the west of the road. A drone video showed a path of damage that was approximately 100 yards wide.

The tornado continued east-northeast, snapping and uprooting at least a dozen large trees along Settle School Road as it traveled along a stretch of that road between Tolivers Forest Lane and Spring Hollow Lane. Several trees were snapped down as it crossed Dutch Hollow Road. Tree damage continued to be in multiple directions, including opposite the storm motion. 

The tornado proceeded another two miles, but did not cross another road until the final property where damage was noted. In the 9000 block of Monumental Mills Road, a two foot diameter branch of a large beech tree was snapped off, along with smaller tree damage from a southeast wind. 

That was the final damage noted, and there was no damage seen just east along Rixeyville Road.

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