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Strong winds damage property in Polk County

Posted at 6:16 PM, May 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-25 18:16:12-04

High winds swept through central Florida Wednesday afternoon, leaving Polk County residents picking up the after-math.

Audrey Figgs, was one of the unfortunate ones to be cleaning up after 50 mph winds came through Lakeland.

Figgs came home to a 60 foot Oak Tree blocking West Pine Street. A tree that has been growing in her yard for over a century.

"This is where my shed was and this is where the picnic area was. All of that is down, my shed is completely down." Figgs said.

Luck, isn't the way Figgs described not being home at the time. She says she is blessed because she usually parks her vehicle in the very spots the large tree fell.

"Here is where I park my Toyota Tundra every day, right here," she said.

But she also says she is blessed the tree didn't fall the opposite way, right on top of her home.

The National Weather Service also reported roofs damaged in the Auburndale area.

Along Lake Juliana, two homes were damaged when the winds whipped up.

"It was nasty," Neighbor, Floyd Schultz said , remember how windy Wednesday was.

"I have been here for 23 years and this is the first time I've seen anything come off somebody's roof." Schultz said.

He went outside, afraid his own roof was damaged but found his neighbors metal panels laying in his lawn.

"It was laying over there in the road there," he said.

But as the panels lay neatly and Figgs oak is now stacked, both know this will not be that last storm to come through this summer.