Pasco Tornado: 57 Homes, Businesses Damaged

PORT RICHEY, FL — Strong storms left damage behind in the West Pasco area Thursday morning with confirmed reports of a tornado touchdown along the U.S. 19 corridor.

Initial reports from Pasco County Thursday morning indicated an aluminum roof was ripped from the home at 6425 Drexel Drive and power lines were downed. Other homes in the area were also damaged and roadways were blocked.

Damage also occurred to a home at 7225 Parrot Drive in New Port Richey. A large tree fell into the home, Pasco County spokesman Doug Tobin said in an email to media.

By 8:20 a.m. Thursday, Tobin reported that the National Weather Service had been asked to come out an assess damage in the area as a tornado touchdown was suspected.

Pasco County officials' suspicion that a tornado might be to blame for damage reported was confirmed later Thursday morning by the National Weather Service. Tobin reported at 10:40 a.m. that the initial assessment from the weather service's Daniel Noah indicates an EF 0 tornado touched down in Pasco County.

"He said the damage appears to be in a narrow line from the Gulf of Mexico to just east of U.S. 19," Tobin wrote in an email to media.

An EF 0 tornado can produce wind gusts of 65-85 mph, according to the weather service.

Initial damage assessments indicated 24 homes and businesses were affected in the storm. By 4:30 p.m., damage estimates increased to include a total of 57 homes and businesses. Of those, 52 had minor damage and five suffered major damage, Tobin reported.

"Pasco County Utilities crews will be helping residents clean up from the EF-0 Tornado that touched down in the early hours of April 7, 2016," an afternoon email from Tobin stated. "The storm left a trail of debris from homes and businesses along a narrow path stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to just east of U.S. 19 in Port Richey."

Residents with storm damage are asked to call Pasco County Customer service at 727-847-2411 to report damage.

No injuries or resident displacements have been reported, Tobin said.

Image via Shutterstock

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