MIAMI.- A severe storm system wreaked havoc in northern Florida on Friday, causing the death of a woman, authorities reported.
According to the first reports, the extreme weather conditions caused the fall of trees and the total or partial destruction of some homes, in addition to electricity outages.
Local authorities reported the possible formation of several tornadoes in the Panhandle region of northern Florida, with significant damage reported in Tallahassee.
The government of Florida's capital reported through platform X about “possible tornado activity” that caused widespread damage, especially affecting power lines and causing numerous trees to fall.
A weather station near the state Capitol recorded wind gusts of up to 71 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Bad weather prevented the National Weather Service from verifying these events immediately. Additionally, the Leon County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a tree falling on a home resulted in the death of a woman.
Storm ravages
The storm forced the closure of various educational and government institutions to guarantee public safety. K-12 schools, Florida State University, Florida A&M University and several government offices suspended operations.
Restoring power was a significant challenge, with more than 60,000 customers in Tallahassee without power and 11 substations affected. In total, more than 66,000 customers were left without electricity service.
DeSantis response
In response, Governor Ron DeSantis quickly recognized the work of first responders and committed significant state resources to support the recovery.
In a statement shared on social network X, DeSantis promised broad state support to restore normality.
“Following the severe weather that impacted North Florida this morning, I have directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to work with local officials and do everything possible to get the lives of our residents back to normal. normality as quickly as possible,” DeSantis declared.
This extreme weather phenomenon adds to the growing challenges facing the southeastern United States in meteorological matters. Authorities estimate that about two million people could be at increased risk due to these adverse conditions.
The bad weather in recent days spread to several states, including Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and South Carolina, causing power outages and extensive damage.
