The Big Bend area was under marginal risk Friday, and storms began developing quickly. Nice skies quickly turned dark as the storm, that one homeowner felt wasn’t coming, quickly escalated into a high-powered windstorm that would leave him and his neighbors without power and lots of wind damage.
Homeowner Greg Kennett said he was following his normal routine when the unforeseen storm hit the area. “I just pulled into the driveway and it was really nice out,” said Kennett. “I look to the north, and it was dark clouds everywhere so I thought to myself well they are going to get rain and we are not so I went in the house to go to the backyard."
Felecia Bowser, Chief Meteorologist for the National Weather Service of Tallahassee, and her team surveyed the damage Saturday morning. Bowser said although the storm wasn’t classified as a tornado, it did leave several areas with power outages and downed trees.
According to Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the life of a 16-year-old girl was taken when multiple trees fell onto a car. “There was one casualty and injury that did occur,” Bowser explained. “It was because of that supercell that went across the area and particularly across Crump Road.”
Despite the damage, Kennett appreciates neighbors rallying together. “Just thankful to be here and that it wasn’t worse than it was,” said Kennett.
