‘Really unbelievable’: Severe storms in South leave at least 3 dead, thousands without power in Florida

A cluster of severe storms swept across the South over the weekend, leaving at least three dead, damaging buildings and leaving thousands without power.   

Strong winds, tornadoes, and isolated large hail were expected across southern Florida into Sunday night, the Storm Prediction Center forecasted. The storm is forecast to subside overnight. 

A 17-year-old girl died Sunday after stepping on a power line during the strong storm that swept through central Florida. 

Tornado warnings in Florida largely expired Sunday, a day which capped off the worst of a weekend storm that brought heavy rain, strong winds, hail and lightning to wide areas of the state. Up to 2 inches of rain were reported in some areas, causing street flooding.

As of Sunday evening, nearly 80,000 people were without power in Florida, according to poweroutage.us, and there was severe damage in Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

On Saturday, one person was killed and seven injured after at least one tornado touched down in St. Landry Parish in Louisiana. Separately, in Shreveport, Louisiana, a 48-year-old man was killed when a tree fell on his mobile home amid strong winds, said Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families affected by this storm,” St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard said in a statement. “We’re doing everything we can to help those families.” 

Bellard, who was aiding investigators at the scene, said the damage is significant.

“It’s really unbelievable. You really have to see it to understand what happened out here. Several homes have been moved off their foundations and others have had their roofs pulled off. One house was moved and placed completely onto the road,” Bellard said.

Severe weather, tornado blamedfor at least 2 deaths, multiple injuries in Louisiana

In Mount Dora, Florida, a home sustained severe damage when it caught fire after being struck by lightning, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Some neighborhoods near Orlando reported golf ball-sized hail.

In Lakeland, Florida, a hotel’s roof sustained damage when it was partly ripped off by high winds. Outdoor COVID-19 vaccination and testing events in Orange County were canceled. 

In Panama City Beach, Florida, a home and convenience store were leveled by a possible tornado, city officials said in a Facebook post. A resident’s photo shows the store’s roof and walls ripped away, but its counters, shelves and store merchandise appeared untouched. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

And in Penascola, Florida, the storm tore a roof off of a microbrewery, causing water damage to infiltrate the building.

Veronique Zayas, co-owner of Emerald Republic Brewing, said she woke up Saturday morning to phone calls and text messages from friends and community members telling her that she needed to go look at the building that houses her microbrewing company.

“We are still learning about what exactly the damage is and what is going on,” Zayas said Saturday. “But we know that the roof is a total loss. There is water damage throughout, and a lot of equipment has been damaged.”

Zayas said none of her employees were injured when the storm passed overhead.

“The brewers are normally here at 5 or 6 in the morning to start their brewing,” she said. “Luckily, no one was here today when this happened and no one was injured.”

Zayas has spoken with many community members and neighbors who have stopped by to offer their support. As of Saturday, she expected Emerald Republic Brewing to remain closed for at least several months.

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