OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, Fla. — A storm rolled through Okeechobee on Thursday evening, causing major damage to some stores, including Winn-Dixie and Home Depot.
Aroun 7:30 p.m., storms moved through the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee County, packing 60 mph winds gusts and hail. Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for Okeechobee, St. Lucie and Indian River counties. Power lines were torn down.
The Winn-Dixie along 411 had to close early due to flooding from roof damage.
#STORMDAMAGE
— Joel Lopez (@JoelLopezTweets) June 16, 2023
Winn-Dixie & Home Depot in Okeechobee damaged from storm
Winn-Dixie expected to be closed Friday for repairs pic.twitter.com/VCbViiEtTS
Haley Moore, an Okeechobee mom, was inside the store when the storm rolled through.
"The wind and rain picked up out of nowhere, it blew the front doors of the store open," Moore told WPTV anchor Janny Rodriguez. "The next thing you knew it sounded like the train was coming and the roof just opened up. There was stuff flying everywhere and water was just pouring in."
Moore said she was shopping with her kids and boyfriend.
“It wasn’t even sprinkling when we walked inside and the next thing you knew it was pouring, the winds gusting," she said.
"They were absolutely scared. They reacted quickly. They huddled next to the shelves and got on their hands and knees like they teach them in school."
She said it was different than an approaching hurricane.
"Being a Floridian we go through hurricane season, but this was quick," she said. "It's not what we typically see with an afternoon rain storm.”
The nighttime manager of the store told WPTV reporter Joel Lopez that the whole front of the store received heavy damage.
Looking inside there was flooding along the floor, the cash registers were covered in plastic, and there were fallen insulation and ceiling tiles.
There were no reports of injuries.
The store will be closed on Friday as they clean up and assess the damage.
Down the road at Home Depot the entrance to the Garden Center had caution tape.
It appears that the metal entrance was blown over on its the side and onto a nearby display.
Around the corner, along Southeast 28th Street, there were large metal sheets tossed into the bushes and a shed appears to have been damaged off the side of the road.
