Broward Braves 100 mph Tornado Winds That Destroy Property, Vehicles
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
COCONUT CREEK (CBSMiami) -- Tornado winds reached up to 100 miles an hour Wednesday in northern Broward, according to The National Weather Service.
Meteorologists say wind speeds between 90 m.p.h. and 100 m.p.h. ripped through the area, hitting especially hard at a parking lot on the Broward College campus, damaging several cars and dumping debris all over.
The twister then traveled east and hit Wynmoor Village, adding more damage to property and vehicles.
The National Weather Service says to get ready for more.
"This is the kind of stuff that we can expect for the next few months. And it's typical for an El Nino year," said Pablos Santos from The National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service spent three hours backtracking the tornado. They say it touched down in at least three areas after forming near Broward College.
"People were running from the parking lot, towards the building," said Philip Bachers, an assistant professor at the school.
Teachers and students at the Coconut Creek campus watched the storm toss cars around, while people ran for cover.
The storm then raced across the turnpike into the Wynmoor community where it ripped up roofs, uprooted trees and caused other damage.
The storm also picked up a small bus and lifted it off the ground. Amazingly, the driver walked away relatively unharmed.
"I was up in the air and then I slammed back down," said Kevin Richards, the bus driver. "Got a little pain in my side but I'm okay."
The storm next hit the Broward Outreach Center in Pompano Beach. Despite all the damage, it does not appear there were many injuries.
Officials told CBS4's Carey Codd that one woman was taken to the hospital after the tornado picked up her car on the turnpike heading south and dropped her down in the lanes heading north. She suffered minor injuries.