by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
About 5 a.m. Tuesday, August 4, Henry Dixon of Ocran heard the telltale sound of a freight train moving towards his home on Dymer Creek.
Tropical Storm Isaias arrived in the Northern Neck around daybreak and left a path of destruction in its wake, downing trees and power lines, destroying property and leaving dozens homeless from White Stone in Lancaster County to the Browns Store area in Northumberland County.
“It was loud, just like a train, just the way they describe it on the news,” said Dixon. “And then in 30 seconds, it was over. And it left all this.”
Dixon stood in his neighbor’s yard, while an excavator cut through dozens of trees blocking his driveway. Dixon and his wife, Lena, moved into their new waterfront home in April. Tuesday, the roof facing the waterfront was peeled back and water seeped into the walls. His garage was destroyed. He estimated about 40 trees were split along his drive.
“I’ve been in the air flying for over 45 years,” said the former spotter pilot. “And I’ve seen a lot of storm damage from the air. I haven’t seen this from the air but I can bet I’ve never seen anything as bad as this.”
Around noon Tuesday, three National Guard trucks rolled… [to-view-more]