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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Tornado ripped through portion of Marion County on Sunday

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado hit portions of Marion County on Sunday.

The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down in Marion County on Sunday near the intersection of W State Road 40 and NW 100th Avenue.

The storm, rated as EF-1, touched down west of Ocala packing winds of 95-105 mph. It hit near the intersection of W State Road 40 and NW 100th Avenue, snapping trees and knocking out power to residents and businesses in the area. And it damaged several homes and a shed, as well as horse and cargo trailers in its path, though no injuries were reported.

Jennifer N. Williams, who lives near NW 110th Avenue and SR 40, reported seeing the tornado as it hit her farm on Sunday.

“We witnessed a tornado come directly across the field toward our home and it destroyed everything in its path,” she wrote on the Marion County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page on Sunday afternoon. “Its path is extremely visible, as it took down everything in it in a direct straight line. It busted out the inside glass on our two-paned windows from the pressure and knocked a tree over on our home. It’s a mess out here!”

The sheriff’s office posted several photos of damage on its website and is encouraging all Marion County residents to sign up for severe weather alerts. To do so, visit www.alertmarion.com.