'Like an explosion': Tornado tears through Wellington, flipping cars and damaging multiple homes

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Video and pictures sent to the WPTV newsroom showed a very large tornado moved through the Wellington area on Wednesday afternoon, flipping vehicles and causing damage to multiple homes.

Homes near the Wellington National Golf Course, including the Preserve at Binks Forest, sustained significant damage along with multiple downed trees.

One neighbor told WPTV anchor Janny Rodriguez that it "sounded like a bomb went off" like an "explosion."

WATCH BELOW: Janny Rodriguez interviews neighbor affected by tornado

Palm Beach County deputies and firefighters responded quickly to the scene and went door-to-door checking on residents.

Rodriguez, who lives in the area, said both she and her family are OK.

Along Cypress Park Drive there were vehicles on their side and multiple trees down.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue sent a statement just before 10:30 p.m. that said they responded to multiple reports of tornadoes, associated injuries and trapped people in the Wellington, Acreage and the Loxahatchee areas.

The agency said 911 calls started coming in just before 5 p.m. and continued for more than 50 minutes.

"Several tornado-related incidents were found in the Deer Path Lane area of Wellington and near Northlake and Coconut Boulevards in the Acreage and Loxahatchee areas," Fire Rescue said in a statement.

WPTV

Firefighters said they located and rescued multiple people from damaged structures and vehicles.

Some of the victims were trapped under rubble or stuck in overturned vehicles tossed by the strong winds. One person had to be freed from an overturned RV.

Firefighters took five patients, including three trauma patients, and treated many more walk-up patients with minor injuries.

Officials said it is important for everyone to stay off the roads in these areas, as there is a lot of debris that needs to be removed. Some roads are still impassable.

WATCH BELOW: Sheriff speaks about tornado outbreak in Palm Beach Co.

'I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT'

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said there were no reports of fatalities in the county.

There have been multiple reports of tornadoes across the Treasure Coast as well, causing damage throughout Martin and St. Lucie counties.

"I would've thought I was in the Midwest with Tornado Alley. It's been incredible," Bradshaw said in an interview with WPTV. "I've lived here all of my life, I've never seen anything like it."

On Wednesday night, the sheriff's office said there were search and rescue operations underway near the Aero Club and Rustic Ranch neighborhoods.

The National Weather Service in Miami reposted a video on its X page at 4:44 p.m. of video of the storm.