Severe Weather Brings Flooding, Downed Power Lines, Tornadoes

LAKELAND, FL — Severe weather on Thursday brought flooding, downed power lines, reports of fallen trees and even several tornadoes as all of central Florida remained under a tornado watch for much of the day.

Residents across central Florida were hard hit by the powerful storm. In Polk County, one person was injured when a roof collapsed as a tornado touched down south of Lake Wales. Meanwhile, a tornado damaged 80 homes in a mobile home park in Pasco County.

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The roof collapse incident in Polk County happened around 9:45 a.m. at a quadraplex near Lake Wales in the 200 block of Genesis Point Drive, which is just north of Warner University, according to Polk County Fire Rescue.

The victim was taken by a Polk County Fire Rescue ambulance to Lakeland Regional Medical Center.

The National Weather Service later confirmed that the damage was caused by a tornado that touched down south of Lake Wales.

The storm swept through central Florida Thursday morning, spawning several tornadoes. The storm dumped about 5 inches of rain on the area in just 24 hours, and prompted a flood watch in several central Florida counties through Friday afternoon.

Officials in Pasco County, north of Tampa, said five of the mobile homes that were damaged were deemed unsafe due to major damage, 20 homes suffered moderate to major damage and 55 homes suffered minor damage.

Lakeland police reported a number of incidents involving flooding, downed trees and downed power lines around the city. Those incidents included:

• 1025 Bartow Highway – Flooding
• North Lake Parker Road – Flooding
• North Massachusetts Avenue and East Main Street – Construction items floated into roadway.
• Memorial Blvd and Swindell Avenue – Flooding and disabled vehicle in roadway
• 2650 Southwest Avenue – Power line down and on a tree
• Fun Bike Center on East memorial Blvd - power line down
• Bassadena Circle South – Tree in roadway
• Sikes and Lime Street – Flooded
• Woodland Drive and Mall Access Road by Buffalo Wild Wings – flooded
• Tennessee Avenue and Lake Morton Drive – Manhole cover loose
• Edgewood and South Florida by McDonald’s Flooding
• Lake Morton Drive - Flooding

Sarasota County Emergency Services also reported numerous flooding incidents that included the following locations:

• Indiana southbound lanes between Virginia and Dearborn
• Circlewood and 776
• E. Venice Avenue at Grove Street N.
• E. Venice Avenue at Seaboard Avenue
• Nokomis Avenue S. at Milan Avenue W.
• Nokomis Avenue S. at Turin Street W.
• Westbound lanes on Fruitville Road at Sarasota Center Boulevard
• 776 at Manasota Beach Road
• Shamrock at Bal Harbour
• Portions of Siesta Key toward Turtle Beach Park

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo courtesy Lakeland Police Department