Trees, ripped from the ground by their roots narrowly miss damaging a home.
Ila Wilborn | The Famuan
QUINCY – Sunday night at 7:44 p.m., the National Weather Service released an area-wide Emergency Alert for Tallahassee, Quincy and Midway. “Tornado Warning in this area til 8:15 pm EST. Take shelter now. Check local media. – NWS.” There was also the possibility of penny-sized hail, to an area with a population of almost 300,000.
Almost simultaneously, the echoes of a loud siren cried out through the tumultuous thunder and lightning, confirming the importance of the prior alert.
Eleven minutes later, the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado had touched down south of Quincy and was moving east-southeast toward Midway.
In the aftermath of the storm, homeowners off of Jim Williams Road in Quincy in Gadsden County – the only county in Florida with a majority African American population – took in the damage to their homes.
Crews begin to fix snapped power lines that have been littered by tree branches.
Ila Wilborn | The Famuan
Gadsden County’s Public Works Department, responsible for maintaining the over 700 miles of roads, were among those deployed to help clear out the damaged area after the storm.
A homeowner’s dog walks along the damage, ahead of the Gadsden County’s Public Works Department, which is surveying the area where trees mangled a water pipe.
Ila Wilborn | The Famuan
In a public information statement, the National Weather Service in Tallahassee released information of the EF-3 classified tornado in surrounding counties. In an EF-3 tornado, winds are classified as “strong,” ranging from 136 to 165 mph.
With winds reaching an estimated 140 mph in the storm’s path, this homeowner’s roof ripped off of her home.
Ila Wilborn | The Famuan
One homeowner described how her family took cover in their dining room as the storm alerts went off the night before. As the family walked through the halls of their home and front yard, they understood the severity of the previous night’s tornado.
Wind and branches scattered and battered the homeowner’s cars.
Ila Wilborn | The Famuan
Porch chairs and a backyard fence are among items tangled with tree limbs, scattered with shattered glass.
Ila Wilborn | The Famuan
A look inside
A mirror fell from the wall of the bathroom, along with the door frame.
Ila Wilborn | The Famuan
The homeowner said her son’s room was clean before the storm, and that the winds tore off sheets and pillows from his bed causing his signed memorabilia to fall from the walls.
Ila Wilborn | The Famuan
A tree branch burst through the bedroom’s window, lodging inches from the head of the son’s bed. The son was not at home during the storm.
Ila Wilborn | The Famuan