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Damage reported across Central Florida after region is slammed by severe weather

By FOX 35 News Staff
Updated  January 9, 2024 10:47pm EST
Severe Weather
FOX 35 Orlando

Storm damage reported across Central Florida

A family in Belleview said they are lucky to be alive after an enormous oak tree crashed through the roof of their bedroom. Now, they are terrified of what’s going to happen next.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A powerful line of storms moved across Central Florida on this FOX 35 Storm Alert Day, bringing heavy rain, lightning, and damaging winds. The system also prompted the National Weather Service to issue multiple tornado warnings.

The severe weather arrived in Gainesville around 2 p.m. before moving to Orlando at 4 p.m. The worst of the weather was off the Brevard County coast by 9 p.m. 

The storms left a trail of damage. A family in Belleview said they are lucky to be alive after an enormous oak tree crashed through the roof of their bedroom. Now, they are terrified of what’s going to happen next.

Shakketa Williams and Tanee Walls said they were lying in their bed watching television during Tuesday’s storms. Walls said she had some sort of gut feeling and kept looking out the window.

"And then all of a sudden, I heard the trees just start cracking," she recalled.

The family started scrambling and made it out of the room just moments before the tree pummeled the roof of their home.

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A family in Belleview, Florida said they are lucky to be alive after an enormous oak tree crashed through the roof of their bedroom during severe weather on Jan. 9, 2024. 

"It was scary, man," said Williams. "It was just go, go, go."

Walls says if she didn’t move out of the way when she did, the tree would have hit her right on the head. 

"All I can say is, 'Thank you, God! Thank you!" said Williams.

The American Red Cross gave the family $1,000 to stay in a motel for a few nights, but they have five children and no insurance on the home, so they’re still looking for a long-term solution.

STORM DAMAGE: Videos, photos show tornado aftermath, downed trees amid severe storms

OUTLOOK: How long will the rain last? Here's a 7-day forecast

POWER OUTAGES: Over 80,000 without power in Florida amid severe weather threat

FOX 35 News will continue to monitor the inclement weather and will provide live updates below:

6:19 p.m. | Tornado warning continues for Titusville, Edgewater, and Bithlo until 6:45 PM EST

6:08 p.m. | Tornado warnings have been issued for Brevard, Seminole, and Volusia counties, including Titusville, Oviedo, and Winter Springs, until 6:45 PM EST

6:04 p.m. | A tornado warning, including Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach, and South Daytona, has been issued until 6:30 PM EST

5:48 p.m. | A tornado warning, including Orlando, Conway, and Azalea Park, has been issued until  6:15 PM EST

4:57 p.m. | A tornado warning, including Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, and Bunnell has been issued until 5:30 PM EST

4:57 p.m. | A tornado warning, including Pierson, and Seville has been issued until 5:15 PM EST

3:16 p.m. | A Tornado Warning, including Reddick, McIntosh, and Sparr, has been issued until 4:30 PM EST

2:39 p.m. | A Tornado Warning, including Gainesville, Newberry, and Archer, has been issued until 3:15 p.m. 

1:56 p.m. | A Tornado Warning has been issued for Levy County until 2:15 p.m. 

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE: What's the difference between a tornado watch and tornado warning? 

1:20 p.m. | A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Dixie County until 2:15 p.m.

1:15 p.m. | All of Central Florida is now under a Tornado Watch until 9 p.m. 

1 p.m. | Gov. Ron DeSantis hold a news conference regarding the severe weather pushing across Florida. Emergency officials confirmed there are no storm-related deaths reported at this time. 

12:54 p.m. | Florida's Chief Financial Officer & State Fire Marshal took a helicopter tour to survey the catastrophic damage left behind as strong storms ravaged Bay County, Florida. 

11:48 a.m. | TORNADO WATCH EXPANDS EAST: Alachua and Flagler counties are now under a tornado watch until 6 p.m. This includes the cities of Gainesville, Palm Coast and Bunnell. 

11:32 a.m. | Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declares state of emergency in 49 counties across the state in preparation for severe weather expected to thrash the region. Counties included in the executive order are:

Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Seminole, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington counties.

COUNTY-BY-COUNTY FORECAST: What Orange, Seminole, Volusia Counties & more can expect as storms move across Central Florida on Tuesday 

8:42 a.m. | Brevard Public Schools have canceled all after-school activities, athletics, and extracurriculars for Tuesday, the school district announced in a statement. After-school care will remain open and operate on a normal schedule. 

MORE: Possible tornado rips through Panama City Beach, Florida: See photos, videos

7:24 a.m. | A Tornado Watch has expanded east into parts of the Gainesville (FOX 51 WOGX) viewing area. This watch will continue until 2 p.m. but, could remain in place a bit beyond 2 p.m. dependent on storm motion/forward speed.

Florida Storm Tracker - Radar Weather Maps

You can track the storms with us. Head over to FOX35Orlando.com/weather or visit the "FOX 35 Storm Tracker Weather Radar & Maps" section in the FOX 35 News app to see updated radar maps for several Central Florida counties.

 

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