LAWTEY, Fla. – The line of severe weather that moved across northeast Florida Tuesday night spawned tornadoes in Lawtey and west of World Golf Village, the National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday.
The tornado that touched down about 10 p.m. in Lawtey was an EF-1 with estimated winds peaking at 85-95 mph. The tornado was a maximum of 75 yards wide and was on the ground for one mile, according to the National Weather Service. No injuries or fatalities were reported.
The Lawtey Elementary School's cafeteria had roof damage and numerous trees and power lines around the building were down. The school was closed Wednesday as officials spent the day cleaning up.
School officials said Lawtey Elementary will be open Thursday. Students will be served breakfast and lunch, but they will not be able to eat in the cafeteria due to the damage.
VIDEO: Tornado damage reported near World Golf Village | Tornado damages homes, school
An EF-1 tornado also touched down in the Heritage Landing neighborhood in St. Johns County, off county Road 13. The National Weather Service said it had 100 mph peak winds and was on the ground just over a half mile and only one-tenth of a mile wide.
“The thunder that woke me up. Not even a few minutes later, we heard that roar, and it all just happened so quickly," Elizabeth Hevia said. "It was nothing like I’ve ever heard before.”
PHOTOS: Damage from Tuesday night's storms
Cars were relocated, roofing tiles were torn off and glass shattered in Nick Barga's neighborhood. He and his wife jumped from their bed and ran into the bathroom.
Most neighborhoods had winds of 40 to 50 mph, but a few backyards were hit with gusts as strong as 60 mph, knocking down trees, fences and signs.
"I was surprised how much damage it was," Margaret Dyal said of her mother's Bradford County property. "Her greenhouse is destroyed. Her barn, some tin has blown off, so it will have to be repaired. She believes the damage is at least $8,000."
Across the road, a family’s mobile home was cut in half by a tree, with other trees down around it.
No injuries were reported in Lawtey, but Clay County Emergency Management said one person was injured, but it wasn't immediately known where it occurred or the extent of the injury.
Clay emergency officials said three homes were destroyed, four homes were severely damaged and 31 sustained minor damage when the storms swept through the county, with wind gusts exceeding 70 mph in some areas.
There was no tornado watches or warnings issued Tuesday night, although there was a severe thunderstorm warning earlier in the evening in the Suwannee Valley. Forecasters felt the storm was weakening and put out a severe weather advisory for the greater Jacksonville area.
"All of the damage followed the direction of the storm, from the southwest to the northeast," said News4Jax meteorologist Richard Nunn. "The heaviest damage was along a line from Alachua County to parts of Union and Bradford counties, through Clay County and the World Golf Village and Keystone Heights areas."
Power outages were also reported across the area, and the NWS said hail was reported in Black Creek and Alachua County.
Several thousand JEA customers were without power about 11 p.m. in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville. Many residents said there were downed trees all over the area.
Many families in Middleburg were cleaning up on Wednesday. On Yucca Street, a shed flipped over.the roof of a mobile home and was destroyed by high wind.
"I felt the rush of air come through the house," said Bennie Wilson, whose daughter Dallas was babysitting at a nearly home.
"My dad calls me and says, 'Are you OK?' I said, 'Yeah, why?' 'A tree fell on the house,'" Dallas Wilson said. "It was either strong winds or a tornado."
Wilson wasn't prepared for what she saw at the home she and her father have lived in for just one year.
"I was really loving the house, getting attached to it," Bennie Wilson said. "I'm just hoping we can get it
fixed to where I can continue to live here."
A few miles away on Yucca Street, the Price family was in clean up mode.
"The roof is tore up," said Taylor Price. "All the rafters and everything are broke."
Five family members were inside when it happened when the roof was destroyed by strong winds.
The family's trampoline was moved from the front yard, to the back and up into the tree. Parts of the roof are also in the backyard. It's still early in the cleanup.
"Oh I'm very thankful," said Price. "We can replace the attic. I can't replace my family."
In Mandarin, residents were shocked to see the damage of downed trees, signs knocked over and streets littered with debris.
"It looked like a disaster area," said Sheri Boulay.
JEA cleanup crews and neighbors spent Wednesday cleaning up a Mandarin neighborhood off Thoroughbred Boulevard, where storms knocked down power lines.
WATCH: Mandarin residents clean up storm damage
"I've never seen anything like this. This is incredible," said Mandarin resident Lisa Bohannon. "Our whole fence is gone. Garbage cans everywhere. Trash everywhere."
In one backyard behind one Mandarin home, several trees snapped in half as well as shingles that came off the roof. Other neighbors had a tree go through their house.
"We heard water coming into the house, so we opened the door and saw the oak tree on the house," Boulay said. "It was pretty scary."
