Aha Dua Permata: Powerful Tornadoes leave trail of destruction in Central Florida

Sunday 15 October 2023

Powerful Tornadoes leave trail of destruction in Central Florida

The hurricane that hit parts of the west coast of Florida on Thursday morning, October 12 2023, caused damage to cars, homes and businesses.

Police in Clearwater said in a social media post that no injuries were reported when two possible tornadoes touched down around 2 a.m. Thursday. Photos shared by the agency showed gutters from a home that pierced the windshield of a car.

Officials canceled public school classes for the day.

"The west side of Citrus County has experienced significant damage from an unconfirmed tornado(s) which hit the area overnight," school officials said in a Facebook post shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday.

Deputies were directing traffic Thursday morning due to multiple road closures caused by the storm, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office said on social media. A portion of U.S Highway 19, which is a major thoroughfare through the mostly rural county, was closed due to storm damage.

The storms kept tracking east across the state, reaching parts of northeast Florida Thursday morning. The Flagler County Sheriff's office said there was "significant damage" but no injuries in Palm Coast on Florida's Atlantic coast.

More damage was reported from a separate potential tornado around 65 miles north in Crystal River. Citrus County officials said several roads were closed there because of downed power lines, trees, and debris.

Forecasters had previously warned that hazardous weather conditions were expected to cover the region through early Thursday, with many given notice that power outages were likely to affect many communities.

Severe weather that erupted overnight Thursday in Florida prompted multiple reported tornadoes to level widespread damages to homes and businesses along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the Sunshine State.

A likely tornado hit Florida's Clearwater Beach, damaging at least two homes. Although no one was injured, images from the scene captured the chaos, with debris strewn across streets and a home's gutter impaling a car's windshield.

Drone footage of damage caused by the tornado in Dunedin, Florida, United States 🇺🇸 12 October 2023 #Tornado #WeatherUpdate #Florida pic.twitter.com/AWBjYKkeZL
— Disaster Tracker (@DisasterTrackHQ) October 12, 2023

However, the destruction didn't end there; Dunedin, located north of Clearwater Beach, reported downed power lines and buildings with missing walls and blown-out windows.

The US National Weather Service has indicated it will assess the damage to confirm if it was indeed caused by a tornado and to determine its strength.

Around 65 miles north in Crystal River, Florida, a reported twister wreaked havoc on the town, damaging and destroying numerous businesses and homes. The area miraculously escaped reports of major injuries or deaths, though the destruction was substantial. Most of the closed roads in Citrus County have since reopened, but school was canceled due to the severity of damages.

Significant damage in Crystal River. This is Ft Island Trail near US 19. 📷 Kalani Burbank #Florida #tornado pic.twitter.com/8sGxUSfr2U
— Paul Dellegatto⚡️FOX (@PaulFox13) October 12, 2023

5x Timelapse of massive #Wedge waterspout just offshore of Clearwater Beach, recorded from the Wyndham Grand Hotel Live Camera @NWSTampaBay #tornado #FLwx pic.twitter.com/GFwWpJCj30
— Storm Tracker Mike Scantlin (@theScantman) October 12, 2023

Storms have continued eastward, reaching parts of northeast Florida. An EF2 tornado with sustained winds of 115 miles per hour carved a mile-long path of damage through Palm Coast, causing significant damages to infrastructure but no injuries to local residents.

Millions of Floridians were under a tornado watch during the peak of the threat, with the potential for heavy rain and strong thunderstorms throughout the day.

Although the storm system was expected to move off into the Atlantic waters during the early afternoon, residents remained on high alert as the tumultuous weather continued to affect the region