[poobear]

I'm in Oviedo (Seminole County), we dodged a bullet. Just to the NE one touched down and continued through Deland, previously hit during Christmas. Hail, rain pretty bad. I got up to make sure everyone hit the interior bathroom just in case. It missed us.

Prayers for those who weren't so lucky.

The helicopters are showing major damage in Lake, Seminole and Volusia. The storm is now moving past my parents in Polk.

[cgk]

Officials: Unknown number of fatalities in central Florida storms

The Associated Press

 

TAVARES, Fla. - An unknown number of people were killed early Friday as severe thunderstorms and possibly tornados struck central Florida, damaging homes and causing power outages, officials said.

A dispatcher at the Lake County Sheriff's Office confirmed that there had been fatalities. The woman, who would not give her name, said that damage had included "every kind of damage you can think of."

Mike Turner, a technician with the National Weather Service in Melbourne said it appeared the fatality occurred in the Lady Lake area. No other details were available.

"Everybody is so busy that we can't get a hold of anybody." Turner said. "We'll know more as the sun comes up and the weather is starting to calm down a bit."

The storm moved across portions of Sumter and Volusia counties about 3:15 a.m. and then moved to Volusia County, said Peggy Glitto, a weather service meteorologist.

"Radar indicated that there were tornadoes, but we're going to send someone out to assess the damage and should know more this afternoon," Glitto said.

About 20,000 customers were without power across a wide swath of central Florida, Progress Energy spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs said.

Florida Power & Light reported about 200 customers were without power in the DeLand area.

"We're activating the state EOC and mobilizing damage assessment teams to move into that area," said Mike Stone, spokesman at the state's Department of Emergency Management.