Tornado flips cars, damages homes in coastal Florida city

Tornado Strikes Palm Beach Gardens

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — A tornado touched down in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on Saturday as a powerful storm system brought intense rain and powerful winds to the state, overturning cars, damaging homes and snapping tree branches.

Damage and Debris

The National Weather Service in Miami said the tornado hit late Saturday afternoon with winds of 100 mph (160 kph) near Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center and headed northeast toward the coast. Storm damage forced authorities in the coastal city to close major roadways as workers cleared debris and inspected wreckage.

• Cars flipped over on top of each other
• Cracked tree limbs resting on vehicles and homes
• Debris littering streets

The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department has not reported any major injuries or fatalities. A spokeswoman for the city said officials have deactivated emergency protocols and were working through lingering issues Sunday.

Tornado Watch in Central Florida

The National Weather Service had placed a large stretch of central Florida under a tornado watch on Saturday afternoon as thunderstorms were cutting across the state.