14 dead in Florida Tornados

[Viva_La_Revolution]

Overnight Storms Kill At Least 14; Hundreds Of Homes Destroyed


snip


There were reports of severe damage in the areas of Hawthorne Hills, Lake Beresford and Hontoon Island in the DeLand area.

Officials said there were more than 5,000 people without power in the area.

"We have severe damage in the area of the Sunshine Mobile Home Park, Oak Grove Mobile Home Park and the Lady Lake Mobile Home Park," Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Christie Mysinger said. "This area of Lady Lake has been hit very hard by a confirmed tornado. The city of Lady Lake is in a state of emergency as declared by its mayor. And also, the county is in a state of emergency.


"I live next to Robin's Radiator and his place was demolished and it is all in front of where I walk in,"Irene Martin said. "I was in my living room with my two dogs and you could see the lightning and you could hear the thunder and the rain and everything. And, it seemed all of the sudden it got very windy and it got very, very quiet and then all of the sudden bam, a big, big explosion. I didn't know what was going on."

http://www.local6.com/weather/10910009/detail.html

[SayWhatYo]

1. I saw that on the news this morning...

They were just showing video of it, but didn't have an explanation. I thought it was some huge explosion or something... Freaking crazy how much damage that was caused.

[Warpy]

2. Tornadoes in winter

but there's no such thing as global warming, is there?

Florida needs to gear up like Tornado Alley has, with sirens and shelters.

Home shelters will be impossible, though. Dig down six inches and you hit water.

[Lochloosa]

3. Actually this is not uncommon in Florida.

Cold fronts hitting our warm wet air can cause some fierce storms in the winter.

[Lorien]

5. I've never understood why Florida doesn't use sirens

I grew up in Ohio, and tornado sirens were a regular part of summers there. Here in Florida tornadoes only seem to be acknowledged AFTER they've struck. For days the local news will wonder aloud "It could have been a tornado, or maybe several...or perhaps it was merely a strong storm. Who knows"? It's as if they're 50 years behind in weather detection here.

And don't get me started on FEMA. There were Christmas Day tornadoes that did damage similar to what happened last night and those people STILL have no place to live!

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

6. Florida is stuck in the 1940s in EVERY respect.

I lived in Orlando for a year. I came up against that MANY times.

[bluedog]

7. I wrote about that on local news board

I said we should contact Crist and see if this can be done.better a warning than nothing in the middle of the night.
Some lame ass told me that the people in Madeira Beach were complaining about the "noise" when these sirens were tested.....and since then have been stopped.....

They then went on to tell me.that I haven't lived here long enough to know.about these sirens.....well...moved here in 1982 and have never heard a damn siren.........
I told her/him.that a newer group of people have moved in and should insist these be turned back on..they are no worse than the boom boxes from cars that travel the beach roads........dumb asses!

[tandot]

4. I am so sorry for them. We moved out of Tornado Alley in 2004

and I am so relieved that we don't have to worry about tornadoes anymore

[sweetladybug]

8. 3 of my young grandchildren live with there mother in Lady Lake FL

My son talked to the children earlier today and they are fine, thank God.

[karlrschneider]

9. Glad they are okay. Is that the same God that killed 18 other people?

...

[Viva_La_Revolution]

10. update - 19 now dead

per CNN :(

[Theres-a]

11. Yahoo too

Link
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070203/ap_on_re_us/severe_weather

:(

[Melynn]

12. My sister and her family live about 15 minutes away from the area

Very scary. :scared:

[Delphinus]

13. There was a pretty good article on

The Weather Channel website, too.

[laruemtt]

14. Update - now 20 - CNN. n/t