Orlando Tornado strikes Seminole County; house in Longwood collapses with no injuries

A confirmed tornado made landfall near Orlando in Seminole County, Florida, during the early morning hours of Monday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The tornado damaged at least one house, which has collapsed, as per Seminole County Emergency Management officials. The house collapse took place in Longwood, authorities said.

Semi-truck flipped over in Orlando

A semi-truck was also overturned by the tornado, the emergency management officials informed, adding that powerlines and trees were also downed. The damages have been reported in Lake Mary and its surrounding areas, the officials added. The tornado touched down at around 9:40 am, as per an NWS alert. It said that the storm was moving northeast of Lake Mary at 30 mph.

Semi-truck driver recalls horror

A man and his dog were in the semi-truck that flipped over in Orlando. The incident reportedly took place near Commerce Street and Lake Emma Street in Lake Mary. Both the driver and his pet escaped unharmed, a first responder said. The driver, speaking through a translator, said that he was resting in the back of the vehicle when it got lifted into the air and subsequently hit the ground.


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Duo survive as house collapsed in Longwood

The house that collapsed during the storm had two people inside, fire officials said. The duo, fortunately, escaped without injuries. The house collapse took place in Longwood. "We are evaluating the rest of the area and have established a Unified Command in conjunction with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management," the Seminole County Fire Department (SCFD) said in a statement, cited by Clock Orlando.

Tornado hit TV station

A TV station affiliated with Fox News was also impacted by the tornado. Itstruck WOFL-TV's television station during a live weather broadcast. This came as WOFL-TV meteorologist Brooks Garner was cautioning people in the tornado's path to run for shelter, Weather[dot]com reported. When he realised that the storm was headed straight for the studio, the anchor began urging his colleagues to take cover under their desks.

News anchor continued broadcast amid tornado impact

"We're catching debris right now on the roof," Garner said while still being on-air. The broadcast continued amid flickering power. Garner highlighted the seriousness of the situation to his viewers. After the storm passed through, Garner said it was the first time that he was hit by a tornado while he was reporting the weather, as per Weather[dot]com.

Florida tornadoes data

According to data cited by the outlet, Florida witnessed an average of about 46 tornadoes annually from 2003 to 2022.

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FAQs

1. Were there any deaths caused by the tornado that hit Seminole County?

There were no reports of any deaths caused by accidents related to the tornado that hit Seminole County on Monday.

1. Where did the Seminole County tornado make landfall?

The storm made landfall in Seminole County's Lake Mary.