The worst weather in the State today did just go over the airport. There was hail and tornadoes in the area not sure if it hit the airport. I saw it coming on the radar and tried to give friends I knew were there a heads up at 1130.
LEDGER STAFF REPORT
LAKELAND | The National Weather Service reported just after noon that a trained weather spotter has seen a tornado near Lake Wales and heading east toward Lake Kissimmee.
More Information:
At 12:25 p.m., the Weather Service reported the tornado was near Lake Wales and moving east at 50 mph.
The twister was heading east, according to the Weather Service, which has issued a tornado warning for all of central Polk County, including Bartow and Lake Wales. It last until 12:45 p.m.
Bay News 9 at 12:20 p.m. was reporting gusts of 75 mph.
There were reports at 12:15 p.m. of power, internet and telephone outages across Lakeland and other areas in western Polk.
Earlier, there were reports of a tornado in North Lakeland, particularly in the Kathleen, Gibsonia and Polk City areas, according to the National Weather Service.
Polk County Sheriff's spokesman Scott Wilder said a patrol sergeant scouring the area of Kathleen and Gibsonia reported no signs of damage and said that none had been reported as of 9:45 a.m. to either the Sheriff's Office or to county emergency personnel.
Polk County was still under a tornado warning this morning, but a tornado watch has been lifted, according to the National Weather Service.
Terri Smith, a spokeswoman with Lakeland police, said Polk County Emergency Management received numerous reports of a tornado touching down near Gibsonia, about seven miles north of Lakeland.
The tornado moved east about 40 mph at 9:30 a.m., Smith said.
Another storm is moving in from the west coast, however.
About 15 public schools north of I-4 were on high alert, according to Greg Bondurant, director of Safe Schools for the school district.