Storms and strong winds cause damage and power outages to about 6,000 in Pensacola
Thousands were briefly left without power and some people suffered property damage Wednesday morning after severe weather struck the Ferry Pass area.
In the neighborhoods around Whitmire Drive and Olive Road, the storm left a string of damage and debris
The morning had hardly begun when Whitmire Drive resident Flora Li was woken up to the sound of her car alarm beeping. All the lights in the home went dark.
Li is no stranger to Florida storms, as she has been battling them for nearly 20 years. Her family now parks all of the family's vehicles in a cluster outside the garage to cushion the blow in case a falling tree was ever to come crashing through her living room.
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Though the tree canopy that encloses her driveway appears sturdy and secure, her experience has taught her that the tall and mighty trees are easily uprooted in a storm.
Now after Tuesday morning's thunderstorm, she's beginning to wonder if a move is in her future.
A neighbor's shed was picked up by the wind and hauled across the street into the rear end of her Audi Q7.
While she is hopeful insurance will cover the blown-out windows and scratches on her vehicle, she still faces the immediate issue of heavy debris strewn throughout her property.
"The problem is — I don't know how to remove it from my yard," Li said.
Li was just one of the area residents impacted by the weather.
A power outage occurred at about 4 a.m. when strong winds toppled a tree and damaged powerlines nearby, according to Gordon Paulus, a senior communications specialist with FPL.
"It could have been straight-line winds, it could have been a tornado, but it caused a lot of damage sporadically throughout Pensacola," Paulus said.
"We had about 6,000 customers out total, but as of 11 a.m., we were down to about 100 customers out," Paulus said. "Our crews, once it was safe to come out, started assessing the damage and making repairs and worked to get the power on safely and as quickly as possible for our customers."
By noon, only about 15 customers were still without power.
Paulus said FPL is expecting more storms in the next 24 hours and staging teams to prepare for any future outages.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: FPL restoring power after strong winds hit Pensacola
