PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado touched down in Madeira Beach on Sunday during the severe storms.
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They say it started as a waterspout that came onshore, then turned into a tornado with estimated peak wind speeds of 70 miles per hour.
Spectrum Bay News 9 Chief Meteorologist Mike Clay says that’s common.
“They can go a couple of blocks inland, and then dissipate,” said Clay.
Andy Migdaleck, a homeowner on West Parsley Drive, was in Michigan when the tornado blew through and damaged his home. His screened-in porch was ripped off the back of his house and landed in a neighbor’s yard.
“I would have been sitting right there watching the storm,” said Migdaleck.
Neighbors helped clean his yard, but some debris remained as of Monday afternoon.
“It’s unbelievable, unbelievable," he told us. "It had to of been a direct hit. I can’t understand it, but that’s a lot of power."
He’s heading back home on Wednesday night and says he’ll begin cleanup on Thursday. He’s a contractor, so he’s already planning how he’ll replace the porch.