In one Pinellas County neighborhood, you have to crane your neck to see what street you're on. The sign for 92nd Street N. is still crooked, one day after a rare Florida tornado moved through the neighborhood.
Meanwhile, the sound of chainsaws fills the air. People are cleaning up downed trees and branches from their yards. The clubhouse for Seminole Country Green is in shambles.
That clubhouse, and Elizabeth Van Tilburg’s home, took the brunt of the damage from the storm.
“We took one for the team,” Van Tilburg joked.
She said it felt like the earth was crumbling around her when the fast-moving tornado hit.
“There was so much crashing and loud banging, and then it was over before we knew it,” she explained. “And then we walked outside and saw the ‘funness.’”
One branch landed on her roof; Others took down part of a fence she'd just replaced after Hurricane Irma.
“The house is okay. Structurally, maybe the roof has to be replaced, but no one got injured,” Van Tilburg explained. “That's the main thing.”
The National Weather Service confirms four tornadoes hit Tampa Bay on Friday afternoon: One in Pinellas County, two in Pasco County and one in Hernando County.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10 News app now.
Have a news tip? Email tips@wtsp.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
