Strong storms cause damage throughout Tampa Bay area

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Sunday's storms brought lightning and strong winds to the Tampa Bay area, knocking down trees and causing power outages for thousands.

Ivonne Labre was sitting in the passenger seat of her car outside of her Tampa condo when a tree came crashing down on top of it.

“It just landed right on us,” Labre said.

She’d just arrived home from lunch, and was waiting for the storm to pass before going inside. 

“Luckily we didn’t get out, because when we get out we usually walk in the pathway of where the tree fell, and that would have killed us right away,” she said.

The same tree that crushed their car had also fallen into the condo building, so they knew they had to check on their neighbor, Angela Jimenez.

“Once we got out, we went upstairs right away to make sure she was OK,” Labre said.

Jimenez had been in her bedroom watching TV when her son came rushing in.

“He was crying 'Mommy, mommy, something is happening,'” Jimenez said.

The two ran into her son’s bedroom and took cover.

“We covered [ourselves] with a mattress, and then my neighbor came and knocked on the door, and I saw the balcony had fallen down,” she said.

The damage causing rainfall inside of the home as well.

“All the water that went in there is coming down, it’s coming down in my bedroom, on the living room,” Jimenez said.

Though there is damage, she says she’s thankful tonight to be alive.

“We are blessed, we were in that bedroom, my son and I. And we are alive,” Jimenez said.