As those of us here in Kentucky have been focusing on winter weather lately, severe weather has been affecting the south. Just this morning, a radar-confirmed tornado struck the Florida panhandle, damaging a prison in Blountstown.
No inmates escaped from the Calhoun Correctional Institution, but two workers were injured. According to WFLA in Tampa, the storm struct the facility around 4 AM, damaging 25 to 30 cars and taking down some of the fencing around the perimeter. The prison has since been secured, according to a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Corrections.
First, possible tornado damage to Calhoun Co prison…now a tornado has touched down in Gadsden Co (All in Panhandle) pic.twitter.com/VzTDAFrP8z
— Leigh Spann (@WFLALeigh) November 17, 2014
Great #LockedUp epi? Tornado makes direct hit on #FL prison. http://t.co/yo48OpmkxB pic.twitter.com/wKS5pAglJx
— Meredyth Censullo (@MeredythTV) November 17, 2014
Possible tornado hits Florida Panhandle prison http://t.co/ShmQHbZBVY pic.twitter.com/WVgOrXlvYp
— WESH 2 News (@WESH) November 17, 2014
Tally Democrat @TDOnline posted images of possible tornado damage in FL panhandle (Calhoun County) just W of Tally pic.twitter.com/spr3Ly64zd
— Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) November 17, 2014
Other tornadoes and storm damages have been reported throughout the south both yesterday and today, as strong storms have tracked across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and even up into the Carolinas.