FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -
The clean up is underway in parts of Fredericksburg, Virginia after a microburst left a trail of damage at the Fleming Center strip mall and a nearby community Sunday evening.
The storm dropped golf ball sized hail on the area, before the heavy winds, brought down the walls of the Dance Fusion studio on Fleming Street.
About two dozen cheerleaders, their parents and teachers were inside at the time.
One of the cheerleaders, 11 year old Kylie Johnson, says they were terrified.
She says, "All you could hear was the hail coming down like guns shooting at you; and then you see the walls collapse and all the dust fly up."
Two parents rushed the group into an interior room before the building collapsed, windows were blown in and the roof ripped off. Both of them were suffered broken bones, cuts and bruises, and were hospitalized.
Spotsylvania county officials say one of the victims underwent surgery Monday.
Both are expected to be fine.
Five other people were injured, but no one's injuries are life threatening.
The dance studio's roof flew about 300 feet and landed on a house next door.
An elderly man and his disabled wife were inside. Two men had to rush in to help save them. The wife suffered a minor knee injury, but otherwise the couple wasn't seriously hurt.
Other businesses in the strip mall were also damaged though not as badly.
Wendy Shiflett owns one of those businesses, she says she's grateful things weren't worse.
She says, "My heart breaks for the people who have been hit so hard. I feel extremely blessed that we just had a few roof leaks."
By Monday afternoon, utility crews were on the scene ensuring gas, water and power lines were shut off.
A clean up is now underway.
As many residents continue to survey the damage, they're thankful no one was critically injured.
Meghan Thatcher, knows she and her fellow cheerleaders were especially lucky.
She's grateful.
Thatcher says, "You kinda just feel blessed that you're still here, cause the only part of the building standing is the room that we were in."
Some homes in the subdivision of Spotswood Estates of Laurel Avenue were also damaged in the storm.
Residents were out Monday clearing debris after dozens of felled trees crushed vehicles and hit homes.
Many say they haven't seen such damage since Hurricane Isabel. They say they were sure it was a tornado that hit, and not a microburst, as the National Weather service has determined.
