Tornado damages several mobile homes in Palmetto

PALMETTO, Florida -- It blew through Tropic Isles Mobile Home Park in Palmetto -- a small vortex that started over the water and grew into a small twister as it hit land, powerful enough to do damage to at least 10 trailers.

John and Nancy Kadlick were watching TV. "All I know is that I heard this wind and saw it coming down the street, and it was blowing the trees like there was no tomorrow, so I grabbed a pillow, put it over my head, and and buried it in the sofa," said Nancy.

Within seconds, their roof was gone. The twister ping-ponged its way through the court, ripping roofs off trailers and buckling walls.

Resident Janet Wagner saw debris flying past her windows. She grabbed her camera to capture a swirling vortex loaded with flying objects. She later learned it was a tornado that touched down on two separate streets, Bimini and Edessa.

Leslie Hill arrived home just minutes after the twister tore through, and found she, too, had no roof.

PHOTOS: Tornado touches down in Palmetto
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"We came home on Tamiami Trial and we noticed how grey and black it was in a certain spot, and we drove in we saw the damage and I was like, 'Oh, my God,'" said Leslie.

Emergency crews including the Red Cross, fire rescue, and police arrived to secure the damaged properties and make sure there were no victims or hazards.

"When we first arrived on scene and found out what we had as far as injuries and accountability for all the residents, then we went ahead a secured all the electric and gas power," said North River Fire District battalion chief Michael Williamson.

Power crews spent the hours immediately after the twister touchdown removing live electric lines from the tops of trailers and re-connecting power. There were no injuries reported.

A couple of residents accepted assistance from the Red Cross, which offered them three nights in a motel.

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Follow 10 News Reporter Charles Billi on twitter @Charles Billi

More waterspout coverage from earlier this week:

Giant spout:?Giant Tampa Bay WATERSPOUT officially a tornado

RAW VIDEO:?Waterspout forms, rotates near Courtney Campbell

PHOTOS:?Waterspout/possible tornado forms near Safety Harbor

See also:?Drivers RACE from waterspout as it heads toward land

More:?Tampa Bay a popular spot for waterspouts

Source: http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=324333

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