LONGWOOD, Fla. — A home collapsed Monday morning in Longwood, in the area where a tornado is confirmed to have touched down. It happened in a neighborhood off Markham Woods Road.

The National Weather Service confirmed that over the course of about five minutes, an EF-1 tornado carved a 1.8-mile path through Seminole County in the Markham Woods Road area.

According to the NWS, the EF-1 tornado, which had wind speeds of 115 mph, briefly strengthened to an EF-2 in the area of Blue Iris Place before downgrading again as it traveled toward the area of I-4 and Skyline Drive.

Severe Weather

At least 3,500 people were left without electricty, as powerlines and lots of trees were knocked down.

A unified command has been set up with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and emergency management. Deputies and County Roads and Stormwater crews are also working to clear roadways, while Duke Energy works to restore power. 

The county said Building and Emergency Management teams are also assessing the damage and providing tarps to impacted residents at St. Stephen Lutheran Church. 

Officials ask residents in the area to stay home and not “sightsee,” allowing crews to finish their work. The county also wants to reminder people to register for local emergency alerts at prepareseminole.org. 

The National Weather Service is also in the field, determining the level of damage and storm intensity.