The National Weather Service said on Thursday that two EF-2 tornadoes caused widespread damage in Clearwater Beach and Crystal River overnight.
Survey teams from the NWS traveled to the two locations and said the tornado in Crystal River was an EF-2 storm. The other tornado in Clearwater started out as an EF-1 but strengthened to a low-level EF-2. It also caused damage in Dunedin.
An EF-2 tornado has winds between 111-135 miles per hour, or roughly the winds of a Category 3 -4 hurricane.
Reporter Mary O'Connell was in Crystal River, where the tornado touched down early Thursday morning. Residents and business owners said they are just beginning the cleanup process after the storm devastated nearby homes and businesses.
The Ridgeview Apartments saw extensive damage, and some people there described having to ride out the tornado in their bathtubs.
Lauren St Germain traveled to North Clearwater Beach Thursday, where she found an area that had sustained damage from the storms and tornado. Lauren spoke with a woman who was in her bedroom sleeping when the storm pushed her bedroom wall in and caused extensive damage.
Video shared by Holly Slay in Pinellas County showed the tornado after it came ashore as a waterspout or a tornado over water.
A separate video from Michelle Dal Pos showed the same tornado as it moved from Dunedin towards North Clearwater Beach.
Damage was reported across several counties, as well as downed power lines.
Fire rescue officials in Clearwater said they responded to an apparent tornado touchdown in the north part of Clearwater Beach, near El Dorado Avenue around 2 a.m.
Clearwater Police said Thursday morning that the house pictured below sustained the most damage on Clearwater Beach. Officials said a woman was asleep in the bedroom when the wall and roof crashed in on her. She was not injured.
Damage and debris were also reported from the tornado as it moved into Dunedin. People living in the area shared photos of damage to the roof of a condo building.
In Crystal River, several roads were closed Thursday morning to allow first responders to assess the storm damage. The sheriff's office said multiple roads were closed Thursday due to down power lines, trees and flooding.
- Fort Island Trail and Three Sisters Springs Trail intersection
- NE 9th St., 8th St., and 1st St., in the Copeland Park area
- Crystal Street near the intersection of W Balloon Lane
- SE 8th Terrace
- Ozello Trail and Winterset Avenue intersection
- Whitewater Terrace and Turkey Oak intersection
The sheriff's office is asking people to avoid all of downtown Crystal River.
Ring video shared by Rob Lewis in Trinity showed patio furniture being tossed around by the strong storms as they moved through the area.
