TAMPA BAY, Florida — Severe storms swept through parts of the Tampa Bay area on Monday evening, leaving behind property damage, downed trees, and widespread power outages, especially in Pasco and Hernando counties.
A strong line of storms, moving southwest, triggered severe thunderstorm warnings across multiple counties in Florida, while tornado warnings were briefly issued for Pasco and Hernando, later allowed to expire. In Ridge Manor, a large tree collapsed onto a home, underscoring the strength of the winds.
Pasco County Fire Rescue confirmed a lightning strike caused a residential fire, while multiple reports of fallen power lines are still coming in. Street flooding is also a growing concern across the Tampa Bay region, according to FOX 13 Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto.
Winds in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties may have exceeded 60 MPH, creating conditions capable of toppling trees and damaging structures. A dramatic photo taken by Ollie Helsby in downtown St. Pete captures the power of the storm as it moved through.
As of 7:51 p.m. EDT, the power outage map paints a clear picture of the impact. Duke Energy reports:
Pasco County – 657 customers without power
Pinellas County – 555 customers
Polk County – 774 customers
Highlands County – 637 customers
Florida Power & Light (FPL) indicates:
Manatee County – 305 customers without power
Sarasota County – 33 customers
Tampa Electric (TECO) is currently reporting a more severe impact with 6,499 customers in the dark. The Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative also confirms 1,321 customers affected across Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Polk, and Sumter counties.
Weather conditions remain unstable across the region as the storm system pushes toward the Gulf, and more updates are expected through the night.
