CNN
—
Possible tornadoes damaged homes and cars in Florida as millions of the state’s residents remain under a tornado threat Thursday morning.
A likely tornado damaged at least two homes in Clearwater Beach after it roared ashore early Thursday morning. No one was injured, Clearwater police said, but photos from the scene show debris scattered through streets and a home’s gutter impaling a car’s windshield.
Damage, including downed power lines, was also reported near the coast in Dunedin, north of Clearwater Beach, town officials said.
More damage was reported from a separate potential tornado around 65 miles north in Crystal River. Citrus County officials said several roads were closed there because of downed power lines, trees and debris.
“The west side of Citrus County has experienced significant damage,” the Citrus County school district said on social media. School was canceled in the county early Thursday morning because of the damage.
The storms kept tracking east across the state, reaching parts of northeast Florida Thursday morning. The Flagler County Sheriff’s office said there was “significant damage” but no injuries in Palm Coast on Florida’s Atlantic coast.
Photos posted to social media by the Palm Coast government showed a car flipped on its side, roof damage and insulation strewn about a yard there.
Millions of Floridians were under a tornado watch Thursday morning with strong thunderstorms ongoing. Wind gusts of 30 mph to 40 mph are possible through the morning and into the afternoon across northern parts of the state as a storm system moves across the area.
The storm system will begin to move off into the Atlantic waters during the early afternoon. This means heavy rainfall and strong thunderstorms will still be possible over the area through most of Thursday, with activity beginning to wind down into the evening.