Residents say unconfirmed tornado damaged mobile homes

By Vanessa Medina, Marisela Burgos, Phil Ferro, Elitsa Bizios

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    DAVIE, Florida (WSVN) — Residents of a mobile home park in Davie said a tornado, that has not been confirmed by meteorologists, caused extensive damage to their homes, as a line of thunderstorms swept across South Florida throughout the entire day.

Monday’s possible tornado strike happened as heavy rains and winds blew through Broward County.

Diego López, one of the mobile home park residents, said he saw a funnel cloud.

“I was outside and I seen the tornado coming from there, it started right there, and it came this way and it went that way,” he said. “I don’t know how many houses it hit afterwards.”

López said he sought shelter inside his home.

“We had to run to the back of the house because that whole part started flying away,” he said.

López said the tornado caused part of his roof to collapse.

“We were just talking, and then she goes, ‘Oh, there’s a tornado warning,’ and I’m like, ‘For real?’” he said, “and right after she said that, it started.”

“I came outside, I see everything blown down, my thing blown off in the house,” said area resident Daniel Jones.

“It was like a train. I heard it,” said resident Pete Deluca. “Moved my golf cart 10 feet away. The brake was on. That’s how I knew something had happened, and then I saw [my neighbors’] house.”

Officials said one home was destroyed, but another damaged home can be fixed.

“The main concern was the structural damage, and so, I actually came upon it initially and immediately evacuated the occupants, made sure they were moved to a safe area” said Davie Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Andrew Popick. “I had my crew go out through the development to check to see if there was any other life-threatening damage or anybody else in need of any type of rescue. There was none found.”

At Indian Ridge Middle School, the roofs of some portable classrooms were also left damaged.

On Alligator Alley, near Mile Marker 31, driver Ernesto Delhonte said his SUV was struck by lightning.

“I am a survivor,” he said. “It sounded, ‘Boom! Boom!’ I’m going through the road, and [the SUV] was hit by lightning. I saw a light, and the car is broken.”

Florida Highway Patrol troopers said the lightning may have hit the road first.

Delhonte said he’s grateful to have survived.

“I’m alive. It’s a miracle for me,” he said.

Two Pompano Beach city employees had a close call as well, when lightning hit near their boat. They were taken to the hospital as a precaution.

The inclement weather also caused flooding along A1A and some downed trees.

Back in Davie, the residents of the mobile home park said they feel lucky the outcome wasn’t worse.

“As long as nobody was hurt, it’s just physical damage. That can be repaired,” said Deluca.

The residents of the home that was declared a total loss said they were in the middle of renovating it, and now they have to start over from scratch.

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