Deadly Storms Leave Their Mark On South Florida Neighborhoods
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Severe weather roared across South Florida early Sunday leaving behind destruction in several neighborhoods.
As the day started, people who live in homes off of N.W. 12th Avenue and 28th Street in Miami found huge amounts of damage outside.
Strong winds and rain toppled massive trees onto cars and homes. Power cables snapped like rubber bands, leaving everyone nearby without electricity.
City of Miami Police blocked the area all day and night so power crews could cut through the downed trees and try to restore the power lines.
Tania Espinal had just driven in from Virginia, arriving at her family's home just hours before things got wild.
"I literally got here at 3:00 in the morning and went to bed and around 6:30, 7:00. We heard a loud noise and when we come outside, we see a lot of branches are on my car and cracked my windshield."
It was a similar scenario in Plantation where trees snapped like twigs and power lines dangled dangerously just off N.W. 14th Street and 75th Avenue.
"There was definitely a lot of wind and a lot rain," said David Morris, who was inside his home when he heard what sounded like explosions outside. "I knew something was gonna go down because I heard it on the news this morning that there was a tornado watch."
Just south of Tampa, tornadoes ripped through Duette and Sarasota obliterating homes in the dark of night. The long and wide path of destruction was hard to fathom in the light of day.
"All of a sudden I heard a sound like I never heard before. All the lights went out and there was a big crack," described Don Garvey, who had been up watching television at about 3 a.m. when the tornado roared through his Sarasota neighborhood where he's lived for 40 years.
The street was barely recognizable.
"I didn't ever think that I'd see the whole street destroyed. I remember this house over here being built and it was the nicest house in the neighborhood. But to see it now, it's depressing," Garvey said.
Those tornadoes in Southwest Florida killed a husband and wife -- and injured several other people.
Back in the Miami neighborhood, just off N.W. 12th Avenue and 28th Street, crews finally got power back up and running at 10 p.m. Sunday. With trees crushing five cars and falling on three homes, the people who live here were thankful to be alive.
"It is a bummer," Espinal told CBS4 Reporter Donna Rapado about her damaged car and family's home. "But as long as my family's okay and no one was in the car, thank God, which is what counts."