Storms wreak havoc on Tallahassee (PHOTOS)

5:40 p.m.

As of 4 p.m., the city of Tallahassee is reporting 3,300 people still without power after Tuesday's storms. Crews continue to work to restore service logging 16-hour shifts.

Yard waste collection:

Extra collection crews are picking up storm debris through Wednesday, July 8. Residents are asked to place yard waste at the curb according to city guidelines:

Grass clippings, leaves, pine straw and shrub trimmings, placed in heavy-duty trash bags or small cardboard boxes

Small limbs, no larger than 6 feet long and four inches in diameter, placed in piles no higher than 4 feet.

Larger items must be taken to the Leon County landfill on Apalachee Parkway; if citizens use private tree service companies, the company must remove larger items including major limbs, stumps and large tree trunks.

The following roads remain closed as of Wednesday afternoon:

Sharer Road at Fulton Road

Whitney Drive

Lotus Drive

A.J. Henry Park Drive

Longford Drive at Tyron Circle

Wahalaw Nene Court at Cinnapakin Nene

E. Jefferson Street at Broward Street

Mayhew Street at Airport Drive

Winifred Drive at Sasanqua Drive/ Mahan Drive – lane blocked

Silvermaple Drive at Wintergreen Road/Riggins Road

Trescott at Chamberlin Drive – lane blocked

12:30 p.m. update

About 4,600 city of Tallahassee customers are still without power, mostly on the western and northern sides of Tallahassee. Crews are working to replace four broken power poles on Sharer Road.

As of noon, 1,370 Talquin Electric Cooperative customers were still without power.

Traffic lights that were out this morning have been restored except at the intersection of Ausley Road and Jackson Bluff Road where the light is blinking.

Road closures being reported by the city of Tallahassee are included below

Blair Stone Road at Centerville Road - closed

MLK Boulevard at 7th Avenue - closed

Sharer Road at Fulton Road - closed

3240 Whitney Drive – closed

Lotus Road– closed

A.J. Henry Park Drive – closed

Van Castle Drive – closed

Raintree Road at Bedford Way – lane blocked

Nekoma Lane at Blountstown Highway – closed

Waverly Road – lane blocked

Corrine Street at Sandcastle Drive- closed

Lonford at Tyron – closed

Wahalaw Nene at Cinnapakin Nene- closed

East Jefferson Street at Broward Street – closed

Mayhew Street at Airport Drive– closed

Hartsfield Way at Hartsfield Drive – closed

Winifred Drive at Sasanqua Drive/ Mahan Drive – lane blocked

Silver Maple at Wintergreen/Riggins Road - closed

9:45 update

Traffic lights are out at the following intersections:

Ausley Road and Jackson Bluff Road

Centerville Road and Woodgate Way

Copeland Street and Jefferson Street

Pensacola Road and Railroad Avenue

Around 5,000 people are still experiencing outages from storm related damages, but city of Tallahassee crews are working to restore services.

The largest concentration of outages is on the west side of town, said city spokeswoman Lizzy Kelly, but the northeast and south sides of town are also experiencing significant outages.

The following roads are closed

Lotus Road

A.J. Henry Park Drive

Nekoma Lane at Blountstown Highway

Corrine Street at Sand Castle Drive

Waverly Road is down to one lane as is Raintree Circle

At 10 a.m., city of Tallahassee crews will close the southbound lane of Thomasville Road between Gardenia Drive and South Ride to conduct storm cleanup.

7:27 a.m.

Around 5,000 city of Tallahassee utility customers are still without power as crews work to address the damage caused by a barrage of heavy storms that passed through the area Tuesday.

Around 2,500 Talquin Electric Cooperative customers in Wakulla and Leon counties are still without power. Overnight, crews there worked to restore more than 17,000 customers' power, most of those in Liberty County where 12,000 were without.

City crews worked through the night and removed 60 trees that were knocked down across roadways and are working to get nearly a dozen traffic lights back in order even placing a generator at the busy intersection of Capital Circle Northeast and Centerville Road.

Winds pushing 61 mph were recorded at the National Weather Service offices at Florida State University and the Tallahassee international Airport, said NWS meteorologist Don Van Dyke.

While heavy storms are common during the summer in the Panhandle, "It was a little worse than what we typically get," said Van Dyke, who added that in Panama City Beach winds from the same storms were recorded around 68 mph.

Three storm systems came through the area, but the third and most severe around 6 p.m. is the one that did the most damage, Van Dyke said.

NWS officials are tracking another much weaker storm system that is moving through Liberty County right now and could move into the Crawfordville area in the next few hours. Van Dyke said the storm does not look as severe as yesterdays'.

Assistant to the City Manager Michelle Bono said there are still lots of people without power. City officials expected that to be the case, but such widespread damage in such a short amount of time is unusual, she said.

"At the height of the storm we had 30,000 customers without power. That's 35 percent of all our customers," Bono said. "That's unusual."

Bono said there is still tons of debris down, but the first priority was to clear the roadways.

Earlier story

Powerful, fast moving storms knocked down trees and power lines, damaged homes and left as many as 50,000 customers in the dark Tuesday.

"I'm an old man, and it's the strongest wind I've ever seen," said a resident of Killarney Way. The man, who requested anonymity, was upstairs in his home working when the storm began. "Frankly, it sounded like bombs were going off. It was over reasonably quickly, 3-5 minutes."

But those few minutes of near hurricane force wind wreaked havoc throughout the Big Bend.

While there were no reports of injuries, trees were cut in half in several areas on the northeast side of town; some crashed through the roofs of homes. Large limbs were strewn into streets as rush hour commuters were trying to get home from work. A fallen tree blocked Sixth Avenue in Midtown. Killarney Way was closed at Thomasville Road. Raymond Diehl was closed between Limerick and Blarney drives. Power poles were snapped in half. Traffic lights went dark throughout the city and surrounding counties.

All told, 27 homes were damaged and 26 roads were closed, according to a Facebook post by county commissioner Kristin Dozier.

The National Weather Service on the Florida State campus recorded a wind gust of 61 miles per hour.

"We have people in every quadrant of the city without power," said the city's Liz Kelly. "We have crews and back-up crews out working to get power restored."

Still, utility officials warned residents they may be without power until Wednesday.

The first storm struck around 2:30 p.m., toppling trees onto power lines, blocking roads and snarling traffic. As responders were clearing trees and reconnecting power, they had to take cover hours later as a second storm battered the region.

"It was the worst storm I've seen since 2009," said Tallahassee City Emergency Management Coordinator Robby Powers. He spent part of Tuesday afternoon surveying the damage in Killearn, which was among the neighborhoods hit the hardest.

"The wind sounded to me like a train rolling through," said Blaine Tinsley, a teenager who lives in Killearn Estates.

While some were quick to call it a tornado, Powers said the first storm was a downburst, a strong downdraft that causes damaging winds on or near the ground. It lasted around 20-30 minutes, said Kevin Peters, Leon County emergency management coordinator.

"It was a quick moving storm that caused immediate damage," Peters said.

Around 6 p.m., the National Weather Service warned of a second line of storms moving eastward. Automated sensors clocked a 68 mile per hour gust at the Panama City airport, according to Mark Wool, National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist.

"This is a pretty serious threat to the city," Wool said minutes before the wind began to howl. "This is not your typical thunderstorm; that is for sure."

He warned winds of 70 miles per hour were not out of the question.

"That's near hurricane force. That'll give you some context," Wool said.

As photos of the damage surfaced on social media, commenters said some Tallahassee neighborhoods looked like a "war zone." Others said the damage was on par with a hurricane.

By evening, the sun was peeking through the clouds and business owners like Wendy Halleck were assessing the damage.

Halleck, of Quarter Moon Imports at Lake Ella, received back-to-back calls from two nearby business owners alerting her to the fallen tree that sliced through her roof. Several employees were inside. Everyone was safe but rattled. She was told the tree caused a "horrible noise" and people were hunkered in the bathroom.

When she finally arrived at her store, which has been a fixture at the Cottages at Lake Ella for 26 years, she was shocked. She immediately took to removing belongings from the damaged building.

"It's definitely a game changer," Halle ck said.

Staff writers TaMaryn Waters, Ryan Dailey and D.A. Robin contributed to this report.

POWER STRUGGLE

Of the more than 50,000 power outages in the Big Bend, about 30,000 were Tallahassee utility customers.

Reese Goad, general manager of city utility services, said it was a "pretty significant" outage, since the city provides service to 117,000 commercial and residential customers. About half of those homes and businesses were restored by 10:45 p.m.

Crews from Tallahassee and Talquin Electric Cooperative, which serves customers in Leon, Gadsden, Wakulla and Liberty counties, worked through the night to clean up downed power lines and reconnect customers to the grid. Utility officials warned that given the extent of the disruption, some people shouldn't expect to have electricity before Wednesday afternoon.

As of 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Talquin Electric Cooperative reported about 40 percent of its 52,000 customers throughout four counties were without power. By 10:30 p.m., 7,636 customers were still in the dark.

Talquin spokeswoman Kim Gay cautioned that some of the outages could exceed 24 hours and warned residents to be prepared for the inconvenience.

"We want people to plan accordingly," Gay said.

Liberty County was hit the hardest, reporting more than 12,000 outages, Gay said.

City of Tallahassee Electric Utility customers may report outages by calling 850-891-4968

7:30 p.m. Update

More than 30,000 city of Tallahassee residents are without power currently after waves of heavy storms hit the area with a one-two punch.

Reese Goad, general manager of utility services, said it was a "pretty significant" outage, since the city provides service to 117,000 commercial and residential customers.

As of 7:30 Talquin Electric Cooperative is reporting more than 20,000 of its 52,000 customers throughout four counties are also without power. Crews from both companies work to clean up downed power lines and trees.

Talquin Spokeswoman Kim Gay cautioned that some of the outages could exceed 24 hours to restore and cautioned people to plan accordingly.

'We want people to plan accordingly," Gay said.

Assistant to the City Manager Michelle Bono too said some customer's power would be out for 24 hours. Six power poles were broken in the storm Bono said, causing an outage for 25 percent of the city's customers.

"Anticipate you might go through the night without power," Bono said.

Bono added there are a significant number of traffic lights that are either blinking or completely out, creating dangerous driving conditions.

Traffic lights that are out or blinking should be treated like a four-way stop.

Liberty County was hit the hardest Gay said, reporting more than 12,000 outages.

"We have people in every quadrant of the city without power," said the city's Liz Kelly. 'We have crews and back up crews out working to get power restored."

The call center for the city is experiencing an extremely high number of calls for service just hours after several lines of heavy storms battered the area with near-hurricane winds and torrential downpours.

Robby Powers, city emergency management coordinator, said crews will be working through the night and some customers may not be restored before morning.

Here is the breakdown of Talquin Electric Cooperative customer outages as of 7:45 p.m.

Leon: 7,800

Wakulla: 5,500

Gadsden: 3,700

Liberty: 12,000

6:10 p.m. Update: A severe storm warning has been issued for the entire county, and the National Weather Service in Tallahassee is warning residents to take shelter.

"This is a pretty serious threat to the city," said Mark Wool, warning coordination meteorologist. "This is not your typical thunderstorm that is for sure."

This storm has had a history of wind damage, not just to trees but to structures, according to Wool. Automated sensors measured a 68 mph gust at the Panama City Airport.

As for what to expect locally, "70 mph is a conservative estimate. That's near hurricane force. That'll give you some context."

He said crews and emergency personnel responding to storms earlier in the day are "under the gun" and will be taking cover.

5:42 Update

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Franklin, Leon, Wakulla, Liberty, Gadsden, South Georgia and surrounding counties until 6:45 p.m.

The storm is capable of producing winds as high as 70 mph, NWS officials are reporting.

5:30 p.m. update: This report comes from Marina Brown, a Democrat contributor.

A strong storm blew through Killearn neighborhoods on Tuesday, around 2:15-2:30 p.m. causing damage to dozens of properties.

Crews are on the scene chopping and cutting tree limbs, along with police and emergency responders.

Some houses have trees on the roofs, but many other streets are still impassable.

Incongruously, children were playing by the Killearn United Methodist Church, where yards are pristine. Other children are on bicycles and skateboards. Only blocks away where the storm touched down, branches are littering practically every street. Pine trees with 18- to 30-inch stumps were snapped off at heights of 85 to 90 feet, according to one of the workmen now attempting to clean up the ravaged neighborhood.

Outside, residents are comforting one another and you hear the words "God bless and be safe" from time to time. Many people with rakes, many people with trash bags, some people were out taking their children and strollers to see what most of them had certainly not expected to see on a July day.

One resident said that the storm sounded like a freight train, low and rumbling but intermittent. And then she heard what she thought was a shotgun blast, the sound of tree limbs snapping.

Update 4:51

Another line of heavy storms is expected arrive in the Tallahassee area around 6 p.m., according to National Weather Service meteorologist Adam Baker.

Update 4:30

Below are the current known impacts from the severe storm that went through town this afternoon. The City of Tallahassee's Emergency Management Team is closely monitoring the current weather situation, and City departments are responding.

Power Outages

Currently approximately 6,800 City customers are without power. Major outages are being reported on the north side of the city, with scattered smaller outages being reported throughout Tallahassee. Crews are responding.

City of Tallahassee Electric Utility customers may report outages by calling 891-4YOU (4968).

Road Closures

One lane has re-opened on Killearny Way at Thomasville Road. Hazardous conditions still exist. Please use alternate routes, if possible.

Raymond Diehl Road between Limerick and Blarney drives

Olsen Road

Kilkenny Drive

Castlebar Circle

Additionally, reports of road impacts have been made for Limerick Drive and Louth Court. Crews are working to determine the condition of both roads.

Crews are working diligently to clear fallen trees and debris from the roadways. There are traffic backups in the area, which will most likely get worse during rush hour. Staff in the traffic management center is monitoring signals and making adjustments to move traffic. Please use caution and expect delays. Please obey all barricades and emergency crew directions.

Traffic Signals

Due to power outages, traffic signals can be affected. Motorists should approach intersections where signals are out with extreme caution and treat the intersection as a four-way stop.

-- City of Tallahassee

Update 3:57

Killearny Way is closed at Thomasville Road and no turns are being allowed as crews work to to remove trees and debris blocking the roadway.

Raymond Diehl Road from Limerick to Blarney drives is also closed

"It's kind of all hands on deck, said Lizzy Kelly, city spokeswoman.

More 8,150 city electric customers remain without power.

Earlier story

More than 7,000 city of Tallahassee electric customers are without power after strong storms moved through the area.

Power outages have been reported in the Killearn area and in the northwest part of town, said Lizzy Kelly, a city spokeswoman. The storm knocked down trees and power lines, said Kevin Peters, director of Leon County Emergency Management.

Jefferson and Madison counties are under a severe thunderstorm warning until 3;45 p.m. The storms are capable of producing damaging winds higher than 60 mph.

A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for the entire North Florida area until 9 p.m.