Tornado touches down in Florida, hits local TV news station outside Orlando
Meteorologists warned residents to take cover Monday after a tornado struck Sanford, Florida, near a television station.
The National Weather Service in Melbourne issued tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings in multiple Florida counties on Monday including for the cities of Sanford, Deltona and DeBary, Florida. The weather service confirmed a tornado had formed and urged Sanford residents to take cover immediately.
The tornado reportedly moved across Interstate 4, which lies just north of Orlando, from Lake Mary into Sanford, Fox reported. Reporters from FOX 35 Orlando said they felt their building shake as the tornado struck their roof. "This is a very rare event," FOX 35 Orlando meteorologist Brooks Garner said. "We were able to confirm the tornado as it hit our station."
Tornadoes are classified on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which ranges from EF0 to EF5 and takes into account estimated wind speeds, observed damage and damage verified by the weather service after tornadoes. Fox 35 meteorologist Noah Bergren estimated the tornado was an EF0 or possibly a brief EF1.
Trees were downed and at least one home had collapsed, but no one was injured, WKMG-TV reported. Damage was also reported in Lake Mary, the weather service said.
The weather service warned early Monday that as a cold front moves across the eastern part of central Florida it will bring rain, lightning, damaging wind gusts, large hail and the possibility of a brief tornado. Gusts were forecast to reach up to 35 miles per hour and a wind advisory will remain in effect until this evening.
Contributing: Doyle Rice, Paste BN