ODESSA, Fla. — Strong winds whipped through Florida uprooting some trees and damaging homes, including those near the Eagles Golf Club.
While reports of a tornado haven't been confirmed, Sandra Irvin of Odessa said the climax of the storm resembled it. Much of it sounded like a train.
“There’s not a whole lot you can do but shelter and make sure you’re not dead,” Irvin said.
Her neighbors sheltered a young girl who was caught in the middle of the storm. She hadn’t seen damage at this level before.
The strong winds took Irene Froehlich’s lanai apart and pushed it into the pool.
Froehlich was in the middle of a work call when it happened. She estimates the storm wrecked the lanai in a span of three minutes.
“We were lucky. The structure of the house is fine,” Froehlich said.
Trees at the front and the back of her home were knocked over, and part of her roof was damaged. The winds didn’t spare her neighbors either. Their lanais looked like hers.
Similar damage was spotted around Turtle Creek Trail in Oldsmar.
While the night stayed calm, Irvin said she’s expecting to see the impact throughout her neighborhood in the daylight.
“These people lost their entire cages. Some people lost part of their roofs or windows. Along the sides of the house, water is coming in,” Irvin said.
However, those living here said they’re glad everything lost can be replaced.
“No one got hurt, that’s the most important part,” Froehlich said.
Hillsborough County and City of Tampa code enforcement plan to assess property damage starting Wednesday. Most areas in the Bay Area including Pasco County were under a local state of emergency as a precaution.
