Florida Tornado Kills 2, Destroys Homes
Last Sunday's tornadoes and storms in Florida killed two people and destroyed several homes. EFE via FOX News Latino reported that a man and a woman died while inside their trailer home after strong tornadoes hit Duette in Manatee County and several other towns in Florida.
The publication confirmed that the two people who died were husband and wife. As identified by Dave Bristow via USA Today, the man was named Steven Wilson and was pronounced dead at the scene, while his wife died at a local hospital.
Furthermore, the EF2-rated tornado, or what The National Weather Service (NWS) reportedly categorized as a "strong" twister, had winds reaching 127 mph. The said twister damaged businesses and several homes. Not only that, it also destroyed the whole nine-mile stretch of Manatee County.
According to the news agency, there was also a widespread power outage as reported by Florida Power and Light (FPL). "Crews are responding safely and as quickly as possible to restore power," FPL said in a statement obtained by the news outlet. "We've added resources to help speed restoration efforts."
There were 17,000 homes and businesses that reportedly lost power in nearby Sarasota County, which also experienced an EF2 category storm with winds reaching 132 mph. The news didn't come as a surprise since Florida is used to experiencing tornadoes, according to the publication.
"Particularly when you are dealing with an El Niño, where the jet streams drop farther south, it's conducive to having some wild storms," weather service meteorologist Richard Rude told the news agency.
Meanwhile, at a press conference, Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube was surprised of the number of casualties, which is lower than expected. "I'm amazed to see anybody got out of this alive," he said as quoted by the Associated Press.
This was also confirmed by Rodney Wynn, a meteorologist from NWS who told the publication, "It does happen, especial in an El Nino year. It's not common, but it's very possible."
The publication further reported that the injured individuals were the children and grandchildren of the married couple who died. Their ages range between six and 10 years old, and the survivors incurred non-life threatening injuries.
Meanwhile, USA Today reveals that the damages are still currently being estimated. Condominiums in Siesta Key, several private homes, mobile homes and some trees were affected. Not only that, the county's Emergency Operations Center assessed that 45 properties suffered a total of more than $3 million in damage.
Furthermore, the Sarasota Police Department also reported that there was minor flooding during the storm, as reported by the Associated Press.
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