Two Gibsonia homes unlivable, another severely damaged by likely tornado

LAKELAND, Fla. - Storms that tore through Pinellas County continued to wreak havoc all the way into northern Lakeland Wednesday night.

A tornado reportedly touched down on Daughtery Road in Gibsonia.

The storm hit after sundown so emergency crews were still going through the neighborhood to look for other signs of damage late that night.

RELATED: Storms leave trail of damage from Pinellas Park to Polk County

Sheriff Grady Judd said three homes were severely damaged, with two of them being uninhabitable.

"The house that I saw was totally devastated. The roof's tore off, part of the windows are blown out. It has a significant amount of water and rain on the inside. So it would be like living in this parking lot with some walls standing up," Sheriff Judd said Wednesday night.

Sheriff Judd said “it’s a God thing” that no one was hurt in those damaged homes.

"We survived. We still have our life. We still have our family. That's the main thing," Carol Ames said while standing on her front lawn.

Next to her on the lawn was a large portion of the roof of her across-the-street neighbor.

Sheriff's deputies and tree trimmers worked together to clear downed trees from roadways, in an effort to start the cleanup process.

Another neighbor said he had no idea there was a storm headed his way. Just after he got home from work, he said he felt his ears pop and then the roof of his home started to lift.

"If I would have stayed outside 15 more seconds, I would have been in this mess," he said, pointing to his truck under a pile of concrete blocks. "I bought this house three years ago and I've been working my tail off... It's kind of hard."

He said his cat was also missing.