The Latest: 70 mobile homes damaged by Florida tornado
ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. – The Latest on severe weather hitting central Florida (all times local):
4:10 p.m.
A tornado damaged more than 70 homes in a mobile home park in one Florida county north of Tampa.
Pasco County officials said Thursday that 5 homes were deemed unsafe due to major damage, 20 homes have moderate to major damage and 48 homes have minor damage.
Officials said they offered assistance to the affected residents, but all chose to stay with family and friends.
The storm swept through central Florida Thursday morning, spawning several tornadoes.
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2:10 p.m.
A 90-year-old woman was taken to a hospital after a roof fell on her during a heavy rainstorm in central Florida.
The Lakeland Ledger reports that Marie Weddle was hit on the head when part of her condominium’s roof collapsed Thursday morning.
A neighbour told the paper that Weddle was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center as a precautionary measure.
A spokesman with Polk County Fire Rescue said it appeared that a tornado hit the neighbourhood.
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9:49 a.m.
Authorities in Florida say 20 mobile homes have been damaged by a possible tornado touchdown as nasty weather sweeps through Central Florida.
According to a news release from Pasco County Fire Rescue, 20 or more homes received minor to moderate damage inside the Forest Lakes Estates mobile home community Thursday morning.
Zephyrhills is about a half-hour north of Tampa.
There were also reports of possible tornadoes in Polk County.
The National Weather Service in Ruskin predicts severe weather in the region through Saturday, with tornado and flood watches and warnings.
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