Ybor City residents continue cleanup after Wednesday storms left behind damage
TAMPA, Fla. - In Ybor City, some residents will resume cleaning up following a storm that brought powerful winds and damage on Wednesday.
The storm slammed into parts of the historic district, ripping roofs off homes and bringing down several trees. Some homes suffered extensive damage as well.
For Bettie Alexander, she told FOX 13 that her home has been in her family for more than a century. She was raised there. Her home's roof has partial damage.
"It took a lot out of me because working every day trying to keep this house up has been a real pleasure in my life, but now I'm just so sad," said Alexander. "But I'm putting it in God's hands. I'm going to take one day at a time. He says if I bring you to it. I'll take you through it so that's what I'm going to do."
Metal wrapped around fire hydrant following storm in Ybor City area.
Another neighbor said he watched the storm from inside his home when debris shattered his porch window. Witnesses said the storm didn't last long, but it hit hard and left extensive damage. One resident's roof was completely torn off with metal pieces thrown across the neighborhood.
"I heard a noise from the living room and I came out to see the transformer was being hit with a lightning bolt," explained Eder Flores. "A huge orange ball of fire it looked like. Honestly, I've never seen anything like this."
Roof damage to Ybor City home following storm
Storms started in the area around 4 p.m. Wednesday and intensified as they moved west, across Tampa Bay and into Pinellas County.
Thursday morning, before sunrise, standing water, and scattered debris in parking lots and roadways remained. There were still downed tree limbs wrapped around street signs and large, snapped branches hanging from those trees.
There were no reported injuries.
Wednesday's storm was not the only one this week causing destruction within the Bay Area. On Sunday, dozens of mobile homes were damaged in Manatee County after storms swept through.