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LAKE MARY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A line of heavy rain and strong winds produced flooding and felled trees across parts of Central Florida on Friday. The late afternoon storms came less than 24 hours after a tornado warning was issued in Osceola County the night before.
A homeowner in DeLand said a tree came crashing down onto his home during the first line of storms. Large branches could be seen protruding through the ceiling in a bathroom of Jerry Maxwell's house. Power lines were the only thing keeping the tree from completely crashing down. Maxwell lives in the home with his 70-year-old grandmother. He said they were lucky to be alive.
Seven residents in Cape Canaveral are in a hotel after winds tore apart the roof of a small apartment complex. Straight line winds hit an area near Taylor and Orange avenues at about 50 to 55 miles per hour. No one was injured inside, but residents tell us that the rain that followed damaged TVs and game consoles. The owner of the property was advised to turn off the electricity, until an electrician can come check things out on Saturday. The Red Cross will be placing the seven people and three pets in a hotel. We also spoke with the owner of the property who saw the destruction from outside the home.
Farther south, Pasco County Emergency Management officials said in a news release that winds were between 40 and 60 miles per hour as the storm passed between Zephyrhills and Dade City early Friday morning.
Spokesman Doug Tobin said in a news release that at least 13 mobile homes were damaged at Country Aire Estates. Winds also tore the screened-in room off one mobile home. Flying debris also hit many other homes. A golf cart was also tipped over and sheet metal was strewn across the grounds. Tobin says trees are down throughout the mobile home park. He says no injuries were reported.