A sudden EF2 tornado tore through Central Florida’s busy I-4 corridor on Monday morning, catching drivers, meteorologists, and residents completely off guard. The twister, with winds reaching 120 mph, barreled through Sanford, Lake Mary, and Orlando just after 9:30 a.m., flipping trucks, shredding homes, and even slamming into a local TV station mid-broadcast. Miraculously, no deaths were reported—but the close call left everyone shaken.
FOX 35 Orlando’s weather team was tracking severe storms when meteorologist Brooks Garner spotted the tornado forming—and heading straight for their studio. “Take shelter NOW!” he yelled on live TV as debris pounded the building. Cameras captured the chaos: howling winds, flying roof panels, and staff ducking under desks. Viewers praised Garner for staying calm while visibly rattled. “He kept warning us even as his own workplace was hit,” one fan posted online.
On I-4, commuters faced zero visibility as rain and wind rocked cars. An 18-wheeler was flipped onto its side, though the driver and his dog survived unharmed. Trees crashed onto roads, trapping drivers for hours. “It went from normal traffic to a nightmare in seconds,” one witness told reporters.
The tornado was especially unusual because it struck during peak commute hours, an uncommon occurrence for Central Florida. EF2 tornadoes, with winds between 111 and 135 mph, rarely hit urban areas here. Despite weather alerts, few expected a tornado to cut through a major metro area like Orlando.
Neighborhoods in Longwood saw homes reduced to splinters, but timely warnings likely prevented fatalities. The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado’s 12-mile path of destruction before it dissipated near Orlando.
Severe weather in Florida, especially during storm season from June to November. If caught driving during a tornado, never try to outrun it—seek shelter in a sturdy building or low ditch if possible.
This freak tornado turned a routine Monday morning into a scene of destruction, but as one local resident put it, “We’re just glad everyone lived to tell the story.”
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