Intense storms battered central Florida on Monday morning, with a news channel’s local television station’s weather camera documenting the impact live.
Brooks Garner, the Fox 35 station’s morning meteorologist, urgently called out “Take shelter!” instructing colleagues to take cover beneath their desks, which were designated safety zones for such events.
Whilst reporting on tornado alerts for Volusia and Seminole counties, the conditions rapidly deteriorated, with rain and wind intensifying until the monitor displayed only grey blur. “We’re catching debris right now on the roof”, Garner reported. He immediately instructed, “Seek shelter immediately. Get under your desks, guys. Anchors, under your desks!”
He reported debris movement across Interstate 4 north of Orlando, extending into Lake Mary and Sanford, Florida. “This is a confirmed tornado”, Garner informed viewers as the station lost power. “This is a very serious situation. This is a real, live tornado. It just hit our station.”
After alerting his colleagues, Garner addressed viewers with urgent safety instructions as the storm progressed. “Get to the ground level, an interior room away from the windows”, he advised, noting, “I have been doing this a long time, and that’s the first time a tornado has hit me while I am doing the weather.”
The incident lasted approximately one minute, after which staff resumed work and began evaluating damage to both the area and their studio. A Fox staff member shared evidence of vehicle damage in the station’s car park caused by the severe weather.
Seminole Fire Department documentation showed a house collapse occurring just before 10 am Monday (local media). The department reported via email, “Due to the weather impact, there is a collapsed home on the 2100 block of Blue Iris in Longwood and another damaged home. Residents are currently safe from the collapsed home.” The two occupants escaped without injury, as reported by NYT.
The Fire Department also released images showing their crews clearing fallen trees from roads using saws. They confirmed collaboration with Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management for comprehensive damage assessment.
According to National Weather Service’s initial estimates, which had issued tornado warnings throughout the morning, a tornado carved approximately 1.8 miles through Longwood area of Seminole County on Monday.
The weather service assessment team indicated the tornado potentially reached EF-2 strength (up to 115 mph winds) before crossing Interstate 4 in Lake Mary where Fox station is located.
