Strong spring storm damages Sebring homes: ‘Rain was coming in sideways’
SEBRING, Fla. - Residents of the Francis I Mobile Home Park in Sebring are cleaning up after storms rolled on Tuesday night and damaged three homes.
What they're saying:
Some residents said the winds were the worst they’ve seen, even stronger than past hurricanes.
"When it happened, I was sitting in the living room," said George Reyes, who lives off of Mims Street.
"I was just praying for rain because we hadn’t had rain in so many weeks. I guess I got to, you know, be careful of what you wish for," Reyes added.
Courtesy: Highlands County Sheriff's Office.
Around 8:35 p.m., Reyes and his neighbors had the feeling something was coming.
"I saw the actual rain was coming in sideways, and then I heard some banging and stuff," Reyes explained.
Residents said what they heard only lasted a few minutes, but when the storm cleared, they found a mess.
"We just started checking around," Reyes said. "The pool furniture had flown out from the pool across the street to where the office is. The pavilion's picnic tables, made out of metal and plastic, flew out over the chain fence there."
Dig deeper:
At least three homes were damaged. A section of a roof was ripped right off. Other homes had aluminum peeled back and screens blown out.
The damage was less to other homes.
READ: Alligator kills 61-year-old Davenport woman canoeing with husband on Lake Kissimmee
"It went right through these houses," Eddie Dee explained. "Took one shed. Left the other."
Courtesy: Highlands County Sheriff's Office.
Dee was sleeping and didn’t know anything had happened until a neighbor started knocking.
"Most of the people, either good or bad, were inside sleeping or something. If we would have had a warning, like we have severe weather coming, we could have prepared a little bit," he said.
After the storm passed, residents realized it could have been a lot worse.
READ: Evacuations ordered at Clearwater high-rise after structural crack discovered
"There were a lot of small flying objects. People could have gotten hurt. It was kind of like a thank you lord for no one getting hurt," said Dee.
Highlands County Emergency Management said they received one report of a minor injury.
Courtesy: Highlands County Sheriff's Office.
What's next:
The National Weather Service will determine whether a tornado touched down in Highlands County.
What you can do:
For more information on storm preparation in Highlands County as hurricane season approaches, click here.
The Source: This story was written with information gathered by FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon and the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS:
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
- Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
- Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android
- Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
- Download the SkyTower Radar app
- Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter
- Follow FOX 13 on YouTube