Jill Seldomridge and her family were spending an evening on the porch of their Pocahontas County home on Wednesday just watching the weather develop. They got way more than they expected.
“One storm was coming up from the south and another was coming over the mountain from the west. We were just hanging out watching and all of the sudden I was like, ‘Oh these clouds are swirling a little bit.’ I pulled out my phone and started recording and was like, ‘Oh that’s really happening!!'” she laughed.
Video from Jill Seldomeridge
Lonnie Fogus of White Sulphur Springs was travelling with several co-workers on the way to the Denmar Correctional Center and received an alert on his phone as they travelled through Mill Point.
“You could see the cell forming to the southwest of where we were and as soon as we topped the hill coming out of Mill Point going into Hillsboro you could see it back there where the cell tower is clear as day,” he said.
He and buddies pulled out their phones and started recording the rare site.
“At one point it looked like two small twin tornadoes that were spiraling around each other. I couldn’t tell for sure, but it was cool,” Fogus added.
The video confirmed the tornado touchdown which is extremely rare in that part of the state due to the hilly terrain. However, it marked the 20th confirmed tornado touchdown in the Mountain State for 2024. The number was already at a record high and Wednesday’s storm increased the total.
Fortunately, the storm didn’t last long on the ground and never got to where it could destroy any homes or other buildings.
“We don’t know the exact length of the track, but it ran through a pasture, some fields, and that was it. We got pretty lucky it did not hit any structures and there was no injuries as a result,” said Kevin Stitzinger, Deputy Director of Pocahontas County Emergency Services.
Sitziner said they got a couple of calls to 911 about people sighting the tornado, but no calls for injury or damage. He said they were also glad those who received 911 alerts on their phones stayed out of harm’s way and did the right things to protect themselves and their families.
Video from Lonnie Fogus