As Hurricane Ian approached the Gulf Coast of Florida Tuesday night, the outer bands of the storm unleashed tornados, rainfall and strong winds in South Florida, and residents are now dealing with the damage and flooding.
On Tuesday night, a tornado flipped over 30 small planes and hangars at North Perry Airport.
No injuries were reported, and officials shut down the airport to fully assess the damage.
"With the plane going upside down, that's telling us that we need to anchor them whenever something is coming because we don't want a repeat of this," said State Rep. Marie Woodsen as she surveyed the aftermath Wednesday.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
Photos: Tornado Flips Small Planes, Uproots Trees in South Florida
At least two people were hospitalized Tuesday night after a tornado barrelled through Delray Beach, but there were no serious injuries, officials said.
Over 30 people were evacuated from the Kings Point apartment complex after the tornado tore the roof off of the building, fire officials said.
There were overturned cars, large tree branches and trunks scattered about and portions of the building were gutted.
One person called 911 after the roof collapsed and left her stuck in a bathroom, Palm Beach Fire Rescue said. Firefighters were able to go in and rescue her.
The Red Cross is working to help displaced residents.
HURRICANE IAN
Just down the street, Matthew Perry was working at the Minuteman Press along Jog Road and West Atlantic Avenue when he said he heard the tornado coming through. It flipped over the A/C unit on the roof and caused a leaky mess inside the business.
"There was stuff everywhere. There was a power line down in the back," Perry said. "... There were trees everywhere and tarps hanging over the building. It was a mess.”
"It almost felt like an earthquake," he said. "My A/C came off. I think it was rumbling down the side of the building. Everything was shaking and all the tiles were falling down. It was a good 30 seconds where the power was flickering. The lights went off and then everything went dark."
Neighbors in the Fontainebleau area of southwest Miami-Dade said they saw a tornado rip through the area at around 6 p.m. Tuesday.
No one was hurt, but residents say the tornado blew a transformer and damaged several carports.
"I was sitting here, looking out the window, I saw a major stream of wind uplifting and then everything started flying at the windows," a resident said. "And then we heard the big explosion of the transformer."
"I was sitting in my chair and it sounded like a freight train was coming through my living room, and then there was a couple of explosions and the electricity went out," another resident said.
Glass windows were also shattered and some cars were damaged by either falling items or intense winds. Clean-up crews made their way through the area to chop up some of the fallen bigger trees.
In Hialeah, residents at Holiday Acres Mobile Home Park woke up to flooded streets Wednesday morning.
Resident Esmeralda Rodriguez said the water has already receded and the situation looked better than the night before. She’s lived in this mobile home since 1996 and says high water levels after a storm aren’t unusual around here.
"I’m used to this … the water comes and goes," she said. "But thank God we are alive and that’s what matters most."
Hialeah Mayor Steve Bovo said mobile home park streets are private roads and are not under the city’s jurisdiction, creating a complicated scenario for residents.
"The water backs up here and unfortunately for many of them, they’re going to deal with this water and all the bad things that come with it for the next couple of days," he said.
Bovo said the other areas in the city that usually experience flooding are clear, and some areas experienced only minor wind damage.
