PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — People in Pinellas County are waking up to severe storm damage after at least one tornado tore through several neighborhoods. Roofs were ripped off, trees snapped, and debris was scattered throughout the area. Thankfully, no serious injuries have been reported.
People are still waking up in shock, and those who were here when the storm rolled in say it is an experience they will never forget.
WATCH full report by Keely McCormick
Antoinette Heffernon and her husband had just finished dinner when the tornado made its way through their Largo neighborhood.
“My husband heard a noise and saw the trees blowing sideways, and he was like ‘Oh my god, we gotta get in the bathroom, we gotta go,’ which is right back there.”
She said that as they were in the bathroom, she feared for her life.
“We stood up in the tub near the wall, but we started hearing all the blinds shaking and blowing. We thought a window broke, so we got down, and he laid on top of me,” Heffernon said.
She describes that moment as terrifying.
“I was just thinking, this is surreal. I’ve never been through anything like this, and I wondered what we're going to see when we come out,” Heffernon said.
What they found was extensive damage. A destroyed pool deck, trees ripped from the ground, and part of their roof gone.
“When we came out, we saw everything that was gone, thinking we just, more than six months ago, we had a roof replacement because we had damage from the last hurricane, so we were going to have to get it replaced again,” Heffernon said.
She says they are alive and that is all that matters.
“We’re fine, so that’s all that matters. All the other stuff is material because it can be replaced. My husband can’t be replaced, I can’t be replaced,” Heffernon said.
Scenes like her yard are all too common across Pinellas County.
Steve Erin lives in Ranchero Village just off Ulmerton Road in Largo. He said the sound of the storm was unforgettable.
"I'm watching TV and all of a sudden — it's like a freight train. That's the best way to describe it. Then I hear things tearing apart, and I ran into the bathroom, which is supposed to be the safest place,” Ewin said.
Many people are still waking up in shock this morning, but now their focus turns to cleaning up the mess that the storm left behind.
Pinellas County wakes up to storm damage after tornado rips through the area
The tornado ripped off roofs, snapped trees and scattered debris throughout the area, but thankfully, no serious injuries have been reported.
