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Origin of Photo - AOL News - Steve Earley, The Virginian-Pilot / AP

The state of Virginia was hit by a series of tornadoes yesterday, April 28, 2008, injuring 200 residents, killing 1, and destroying at least 140 homes.

The tornadoes passed through Suffolk, Colonial Heights, and the area near Lawrence, destroying property, vehicles, and businesses.

A Virginia wide state of emergency was announced as the three tornadoes ripped through neighborhoods, downing power lines and damaging anything in their path.

A day after the storm those in Virginia are left to clean up the aftermath. A huge task considering the amount of debris that the multiple  tornadoes created.

You can see the horrible amount of devastation that Suffolk has experienced in the CNN.com photo slide show.

April 22 is Earth Day and many worldwide events have been taking place during the past week to raise public awareness on important environmental issues.

The first Earth Day was held in 1970 on the first day of spring. Although Earth day is celebrated each year, the concept is becoming increasingly popular as the world faces environmental challenges such as extreme weather conditions, including global warming.

If you are concerned with environmental changes and how they are affecting the planet, CNN’s Planet In Peril provides plenty of insight.

You can also visit the United States Environmental Protection Agency website where you’ll find helpful environmental tips to give you an idea of what types of changes you can make to protect the environment while you are at home, school, work, or even when you’re shopping.

WildLife.org is also a fantastic environmental website providing valuable information and a variety of great Earth Day tools for download.

No matter how you choose to celebrate Earth Day remember that small changes can make a big difference as was shown during recent Earth Hour demonstrations around the globe, where participants turned out the lights for one hour to reduce energy.