As many of you may know, Suffolk, Virginia, was hit by an EF3 tornado last week. An EF3 classification means that the tornado had winds up to 150mph. Suffolk is only minutes away from Affinity4’s headquarters in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, so this hit close to home for all of us here at Affinity4.

Our entire community breathed a collective sigh of relief when the media confirmed that there were no fatalities. Still, over 200 people were injured, 407 homes were damaged and 145 homes were condemned. Hundreds lost their homes and all of their belongings. The total damage was estimated to be about $30 million.

Still, we have a lot to be thankful for. Despite all of the losses, it is nothing short of a miracle that our community did not suffer any deaths as a result of the storm. It has been a week since the tornado struck and many local residents and organizations have come together to help provide shelter, food and necessities for the victims of the tornado.

Luckily, none of our employees were hit by the storm, but several of us have friends who no longer have homes. One Affinity4 employee helped out by sharing her home with four children who attend school with her own children, others donated money. There are many other stories of generosity being told and we are very proud and thankful that our community has come together to help those in need. If you would like to help the victims of this storm please visit the Suffolk Red Cross website. Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected by this disaster.