Storms pummel northern Florida; woman killed in Tallahassee: Weather updates
A wave of severe weather from a deadly storm system pummeled northern Florida on Friday, destroying homes, causing widespread power outages and leaving at least one person dead.
Local officials said several possible tornadoes formed along the Florida Panhandle, including in Tallahassee, the state capital. Teams with the National Weather Service have not yet confirmed if any twisters touched down.
In Tallahassee, a woman was killed when a tree fell onto a family's home, the Leon County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. Across the city, local K-12 schools as well as Florida State University and Florida A&M University closed for the day. Several city, county and state offices were shut down as well.
Storms this week have ravaged communities from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast. Seventy tornadoes have been verified by National Weather Service field offices between Tuesday and Thursday, including more than a dozen each in Missouri and Ohio.
At least four people have been killed in tornadoes and raging storms, and many have been injured. Intensive cleanup and recovery efforts were still underway Friday across the central and eastern U.S.
Homes destroyed, Florida State University facilities damaged
Among the buildings that sustained heavy damage in Tallahassee Friday morning were two staple venues at Florida State University: Dick Howser Stadium, home of the FSU baseball team, and the tent where the university's historic "Flying High" Circus performs.
The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee was also damaged in the storm Friday and has suspended user operations of high field magnets next week "as a precaution," FSU spokesperson Dennis Schnittker told the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The MagLab houses the world's strongest magnet. More than 30,500 physicists, chemists, biologists and engineers from 54 countries have worked at the lab since its inception in 1994, and 1,700 scientists use the laboratory for research every year. Local lore has long held that the magnetic resonance steers storms around Florida's capital city.
"I can't believe this," said Kathy Bryant, a Tallahassee resident whose house was crushed by a large pine tree. Several of her neighbors helped her collect her family photos and her insulin, which was trapped in what used to be her kitchen.
"Thank God my baby wasn't in here," she told the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network, speaking about her granddaughter who occasionally stays with her overnight.
Northwestern Florida residents reel from storm damage
About 200 miles west of Tallahassee, residents in northwestern Florida also reported significant damage and widespread power outages. Santa Rosa County Commissioner James Calkins said he received reports of 25 to 30 homes damaged by the storm.
In Escambia County, officials said several trees were obstructing roadways but there were no reports of structural damage. Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins said there were several “near misses” where trees narrowly avoided hitting homes. In one incident, a tree fell down in front of a mobile home and first responders had to remove it so people could get out.
Several school districts and parks in northwestern Florida also announced closures Friday due to power outages and debris from the storm. All facilities of the sprawling Blackwater River State Forest were closed as forestry officials anticipated cleanup efforts to take several days.
Florida governor declares state of emergency
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Friday afternoon for 12 counties in wake of the deadly storm. The executive order said tornadoes and strong wind gusts significantly damaged critical infrastructure, including homes, businesses and powerlines.
"Following the severe weather that impacted North Florida this morning, I have directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to work with local officials and do everything possible to return life to normalcy for our residents as quickly as possible," DeSantis wrote on X Friday morning. "Thank you to the first responders and utility workers who are working on power and roadway restoration."
About 70,000 utility customers in Tallahassee reported outages, according to the city. The storm packed between 80 to 100 mph winds, city officials said, noting the National Weather Service was assessing the paths of three possible tornadoes.
Millions across Southeast under threat of severe weather
Nearly two million people in northern Florida and southern Georgia were at enhanced risk of severe weather, with Jacksonville and Valdosta being the cities facing the largest threat, the Storm Prediction Center said. A wider area from eastern Mississippi to the Carolinas was at slight and marginal risk of experiencing the fierce weather conditions.
Across the Florida Panhandle, more than 150,000 homes and businesses were without power Friday, according to a USA TODAY tracker. Tens of thousands of utility customers across Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and North Carolina reported outages.
School districts throughout Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and other southeastern states either delayed the start of the classes or closed for the day, citing the bad weather and, for Tennessee, the continued recovery effort.
Rain in Northeast, Plains regions could scramble Mother's Day plans
Though it is forecast to be a beautiful Mother's Day weekend for much of the country, rain expected in the Northeast and Plains regions could spoil some outdoor plans.
Showers are anticipated to roll over parts of the mid-Atlantic region and New England on Saturday and into Sunday, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. On Mother's Day, a looming threat of showers will remain over the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic, though the wet weather will likely taper off during the afternoon.
A surface front over the southwestern U.S. will support intermittent showers and thunderstorms over the central and southern Plains as well as Four Corners region through Saturday, the National Weather Service said. Some heavier storms are possible for portions of west Texas heading into Sunday evening.
The system is anticipated to gradually push east Saturday night into Sunday, expanding the possibility of rain throughout the central and southern Plains, the weather service said. The West Coast and Southeast – with the exception of South Florida – can largely expect a dry weekend.
Contributing: Jeff Burlew, William Hatfield, Ana Goñi-Lessan, Tallahassee Democrat; Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Severe storm forecast: 1 storm-related death reported in Tallahassee
