Severe thunderstorms swept through the Bay area Monday, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and frequent lightning. They also caused numerous reports of damage.
High winds knocked over trees and fences throughout Pinellas County, and in one case, flung a mattress onto a roof in Largo. The damage appeared to be concentrated in several areas, including the area around 54th Avenue N in Lealman and in parts of Largo and Seminole.
In addition, damage was reported in Citrus Springs, including at Citrus Springs Middle School, and in Lakeland in Polk County.
Thousands of people are without power as a result of the storms, including more than 7,000 Tampa Electric customers and more than 8,100 Duke Energy customers in Pinellas County.
The Florida Highway Patrol briefly closed the Skyway Bridge due to high winds, when sustained winds reached 46 mph. The Skyway was reopened shortly before 5:45 p.m.
Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for Hillsborough, Pinellas and Manatee counties. In addition, a tornado warning was issued for Pinellas County. Those have all since expired.
According to Bay News 9 Meteorologist Josh Linker, the tornado warning was issued after radars located an area of concern was near Pinellas Park. It moved east-northeast at about 40 mph, and towards MacDill Air Force Base.
On Tuesday, conditions will be partly sunny, with a 20 percent chance of showers. Clay said it should not be as humid, with a high of 82. The rain chance Tuesday will be lower as the front stalls south of Tampa Bay but at least some parts of the Tampa Bay area could see scattered showers and thunderstorms.
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