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‘We’ve had multiple tornadoes on the ground:’ Storms slice through Florida

4 tornadoes touch down in Bay and Jackson counties

BAY COUNTY, Fla.Strong storms ripped through the Florida Panhandle early Tuesday, causing major damage in Bay County, the home to Panama City Beach, according to officials.

Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said on Facebook that his office has received numerous reports of damage and several people have been rescued out of structures.

“We’ve had multiple tornadoes on the ground,” Ford said in the video.

Storms cause damage in Bay County, Florida (Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

Video from the air over Panama City Beach on Tuesday evening showed massive devastation after several tornadoes are suspected of wreaking havoc across the state.

It’s not known whether anyone was injured, and the National Weather Service has yet to confirm how many tornadoes touched down.

However, Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed at least four possible tornadoes near Bay and Jackson counties. DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 49 counties, which will remain in effect for one week.

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“Everyone needs to seek shelter,” Ford said, urging residents to get off the roads as more bad weather approached the area on Tuesday. “You need to find a safe space inside of your house — a windowless room, interior room. We want y’all to stay safe.”

Authorities said damage was reported near Thomas Drive at Panama City Beach and Resota Beach Road in Southport.

Residents in Panama City Beach shared a video along Beach Drive, which shows buildings that were completely demolished. Officials there said at least 100 residents have been displaced.

Photo of the destruction in Panama City on Tuesday after severe storms rolled through the area (courtesy: CNN Newsource/Michael Gordon) (CNN Newsource)

The Grand Lagoon Bridge was closed due to debris in the roadway, officials said. The Florida Highway Patrol also closed the West Bay and Hathaway bridges due to the storms.

Panama City’s Pirate’s Cove Marina was hit hard by the storm, too. Video from the roadway shows collapsed buildings and boat trailers tipped over.

In Graceville, residents said another suspected tornado had them running for cover as entire RV and trailer parks were destroyed.

In Alabama, officials said an 81-year-old woman was killed near Cottonwood.

The same line of storms impacted Central Florida later in the day.

Representatives with the National Weather Service are expected to survey the damage on the ground Wednesday to determine the amount of tornadoes and their strength levels.

Anyone displaced by the severe weather can call 800-REDCROSS.

Make sure you have multiple ways of being notified of warnings where you are on Tuesday, including the FREE News 6 Pinpoint Weather App, which features one-touch radar and updates from News 6 meteorologists.


About the Authors
Daniel Dahm headshot

Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009. When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com, Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby.

Troy Campbell headshot

Troy graduated from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication. He has reported on Mexican drug cartel violence on the El Paso/ Juarez border, nuclear testing facilities at the Idaho National Laboratory and severe Winter weather in Michigan.