1 storm-related death was reported in Tallahassee

On Friday, northern Florida was hit by a wave of severe weather from a deadly storm system that destroyed homes, caused widespread power outages and killed at least one person.

Local officials said several possible tornadoes had formed along the Florida Panhandle, including in Tallahassee, the state capital. National Weather Service teams have not yet confirmed whether twisters have touched down.

In Tallahassee, a woman was killed when a tree fell on a family’s home, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Across the city, local K-12 schools as well as Florida State University and Florida A&M University were closed that day. Several city, county and state offices were also closed.

Storms have devastated communities from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast this week. Seventy tornadoes were confirmed by National Weather Service field offices between Tuesday and Thursday, including more than a dozen each in Missouri and Ohio.

At least four people died and many were injured in tornadoes and raging storms. As of Friday, intensive cleanup and recovery efforts were still underway across the central and eastern U.S

Homes destroyed, Florida State University facilities damaged

Among the buildings heavily damaged in Tallahassee Friday morning were two major Florida State University venues: Dick Howser Stadium, home of the FSU baseball team, and the tent that houses the university’s historic “Flying High” circus occurs.

The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee was also damaged by Friday’s storm and has suspended high-field magnet operations next week “as a precaution,” FSU spokesman Dennis Schnittker told the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The MagLab houses the strongest magnet in the world. More than 30,500 physicists, chemists, biologists and engineers from 54 countries have worked at the laboratory since its founding in 1994, and 1,700 scientists use the laboratory for research purposes each year. Local lore has long held that magnetic resonance controls storms around Florida’s capital city.

“I can’t believe this,” said Kathy Bryant, a Tallahassee resident whose home was crushed by a large pine tree. Several of her neighbors helped her collect her family photos and her insulin, which was locked in her former kitchen.

“Thank God my baby wasn’t here,” she told the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network, talking about her granddaughter, who occasionally stays with her.

Residents in northwest Florida are suffering from storm damage

About 200 miles west of Tallahassee, residents in northwest Florida also reported significant damage and widespread power outages. Santa Rosa County Commissioner James Calkins said he received reports of 25 to 30 homes damaged by the storm.

In Escambia County, officials said several trees were blocking roads, but there were no reports of structural damage. Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins said there were several “near misses” where trees narrowly avoided hitting homes. In one incident, a tree fell in front of a mobile home and first responders had to remove it so people could get out.

Several school districts and parks in Northwest Florida also announced closures Friday due to power outages and debris from the storm. All facilities in the sprawling Blackwater River State Forest were closed as forest officials expected the cleanup to take several days.

The governor of Florida declares a state of emergency

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 12 counties on Friday afternoon following the deadly storm. The executive order said tornadoes and strong wind gusts caused significant damage to critical infrastructure, including homes, businesses and power lines.

“Following the severe weather that struck northern Florida this morning, I have directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management to work with local authorities and do everything we can to get the lives of our residents back to normal as quickly as possible.” DeSantis wrote on X on Friday morning. “Thank you to the first responders and utility workers working to restore power and roads.”

About 70,000 utility customers in Tallahassee reported outages, according to the city. The storm had winds of 80 to 100 mph, city officials said, noting that the National Weather Service was assessing the paths of three possible tornadoes.

Millions across the Southeast are at risk of severe weather

Nearly two million people in north Florida and south Georgia faced an increased risk of severe weather, with Jacksonville and Valdosta being the cities with the greatest threat, the Storm Prediction Center said. A larger area from eastern Mississippi to the Carolinas was at low and marginal risk of exposure to the severe weather conditions.

More than 150,000 homes and businesses were without power across the Florida Panhandle on Friday, according to a USA TODAY tracker. Tens of thousands of utility customers in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and North Carolina reported outages.

School districts across Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and other Southeastern states either delayed the start of classes or closed for the day, citing inclement weather and, in Tennessee, ongoing recovery efforts.

Rain in the Northeast and Plains regions could scupper Mother’s Day plans

Although it’s predicted to be a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend for much of the country, expected rain in the Northeast and Plains regions could put a damper on some outdoor plans.

Showers are expected to move across parts of the Mid-Atlantic region and New England Saturday and into Sunday, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. An impending threat of showers remains across the central Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic on Mother’s Day, although the wet weather will likely ease through the afternoon.

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