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. 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.
“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.
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 Gov. Ron DeSantis took to X to thank responders and pledge the state’s support in the recovery ahead.
“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,” he wrote. Over 60,000 utility customers in Tallahassee reported outages, according to the city.
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 early Friday, according to a USA TODAY power outage 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, Tallahassee Democrat; Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal