Severe storm strikes central Florida
Story Highlights
# Weather service team to determine if tornado struck
# 20 homes uninhabitable, deputy says; just one minor injury
# Bad weather in Minnesota leads to teen's death
# Louisiana governor calls pre-emptive state of emergency
The roof is ripped off a house and vehicles are overturned outside Friday morning in Eustis, Florida.
Central Florida residents were shaken but unhurt Friday after severe storms overnight blew roofs off buildings and knocked down power lines. The National Weather Service office in Melbourne, Florida, issued a tornado warning at 10:33 p.m. ET, and a touchdown was reported in Eustis at 10:59, NWS spokesman Ron Trumbla said.
An assessment team was in Eustis on Friday morning to determine whether it really was a tornado, based on the storm's path, intensity and damage patterns, Trumbla said.
One person was hurt, but not badly, Lake County Sheriff's Office Sgt. John Herrell told The Associated Press.
Twenty houses were uninhabitable and about 30 have damaged roofs and broken windows, some damage caused by falling branches, authorities said.
Eustis is in Lake County, about 30 miles northwest of Orlando. On February 2, tornadoes killed 21 people and destroyed a brick church in Lake County.
Damage from a possible tornado is seen in TV footage Friday morning in Eustis, Florida.
CNN affiliate WESH reported a six-block area of Eustis was the hardest hit. Aerial video showed toppled trees, roofless houses and an overturned recreational vehicle. "We grabbed the dogs, we grabbed the kids, we all huddled in the bathroom," Karen Seidule told WESH. "You heard the freight train, you heard the windows popping, you heard the doors popping, you heard the trees crashing down, and you're just real glad you're alive." Video Watch a couple describe the roof coming off over them »
Widespread power outages could persist into Saturday, Eustis Police Chief Fred Cobb said.
Tornado watches and warnings expired in northern Florida as the sun rose Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Thunderstorms were forecast for the Panhandle into Alabama, as well as the Florida Keys.
The rough weather was spawned by a storm system in the Gulf of Mexico that forecasters say could become a tropical storm, The Associated Press reported.
In anticipation of the storm system's arrival, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency late Thursday and oil companies evacuated workers from oil rigs in the Gulf, according to AP. Severe weather also struck Minnesota on Thursday. A 13-year-old boy died after being swept away by a rushing stream at a park, AP reported.
Heavy rain, strong wind and large hail led to flash flooding and power outages for 36,000 customers, according to AP.
©CNN
# Weather service team to determine if tornado struck
# 20 homes uninhabitable, deputy says; just one minor injury
# Bad weather in Minnesota leads to teen's death
# Louisiana governor calls pre-emptive state of emergency
The roof is ripped off a house and vehicles are overturned outside Friday morning in Eustis, Florida.
Central Florida residents were shaken but unhurt Friday after severe storms overnight blew roofs off buildings and knocked down power lines. The National Weather Service office in Melbourne, Florida, issued a tornado warning at 10:33 p.m. ET, and a touchdown was reported in Eustis at 10:59, NWS spokesman Ron Trumbla said.
An assessment team was in Eustis on Friday morning to determine whether it really was a tornado, based on the storm's path, intensity and damage patterns, Trumbla said.
One person was hurt, but not badly, Lake County Sheriff's Office Sgt. John Herrell told The Associated Press.
Twenty houses were uninhabitable and about 30 have damaged roofs and broken windows, some damage caused by falling branches, authorities said.
Eustis is in Lake County, about 30 miles northwest of Orlando. On February 2, tornadoes killed 21 people and destroyed a brick church in Lake County.
Damage from a possible tornado is seen in TV footage Friday morning in Eustis, Florida.
CNN affiliate WESH reported a six-block area of Eustis was the hardest hit. Aerial video showed toppled trees, roofless houses and an overturned recreational vehicle. "We grabbed the dogs, we grabbed the kids, we all huddled in the bathroom," Karen Seidule told WESH. "You heard the freight train, you heard the windows popping, you heard the doors popping, you heard the trees crashing down, and you're just real glad you're alive." Video Watch a couple describe the roof coming off over them »
Widespread power outages could persist into Saturday, Eustis Police Chief Fred Cobb said.
Tornado watches and warnings expired in northern Florida as the sun rose Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Thunderstorms were forecast for the Panhandle into Alabama, as well as the Florida Keys.
The rough weather was spawned by a storm system in the Gulf of Mexico that forecasters say could become a tropical storm, The Associated Press reported.
In anticipation of the storm system's arrival, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency late Thursday and oil companies evacuated workers from oil rigs in the Gulf, according to AP. Severe weather also struck Minnesota on Thursday. A 13-year-old boy died after being swept away by a rushing stream at a park, AP reported.
Heavy rain, strong wind and large hail led to flash flooding and power outages for 36,000 customers, according to AP.
©CNN
Every cloud has a silver lining
