GLADES COUNTY, Fla. — People of Twin Palms RV Resort and nearby areas are calling for tornado sirens after powerful tornadoes, spawned by Hurricane Milton, tore through their neighborhoods on Wednesday.
WATCH THE FULL COVERAGE HERE AS COMMUNITY CORRESPONDENT ANVAR RUZIEV SPEAKS WITH NEIGHBORS:
The tornadoes caused massive destruction, snapping trees like twigs and destroying homes.
Darice Baysinger, a resident of Lakeport, shared her terrifying experience as the tornado passed over her home.
"We had them in the tub, we made them get into the tub, and then I sat on the toilet, and my husband shut the door, and we rode it, we rode it through," Baysinger said, describing how she and her family sought shelter during the storm.
As the tornado hit, the roof of the Baysinger's home began peeling back.
Baysinger said her family was traumatized by the event.
"We were petrified, we were scared, my little girl sobbed for a good hour afterwards, she was just petrified. Scariest thing I've ever been through."
Now, Baysinger is calling for tornado sirens to be installed in the area to give residents more warning.
"If we didn't have the TV to tell us, we would've still been sitting on the couch and doing our own thing, so I think sirens are a good idea anywhere," she said.
The National Weather Service had issued a tornado watch for Glades County and the rest of Southwest Florida, as Hurricane Milton approached the state.
The neighboring Twin Palms RV Resort saw similar damage. Although some residents declined to go on camera, they reported pulling people from the rubble as the hurricane raged on.
As the community begins the slow process of recovery, one neighbor could be seen carrying a damaged mailbox—a symbol of how residents are picking up the pieces of their lives.
"God gives you struggles and he gives you blessings, and right now we're in a struggle," Baysinger added.
Thankfully, the Glades County Sheriff's Office confirmed that there were no deaths from the storm. Of the seven reported injuries countywide, only one person was hospitalized with broken bones. That person’s home was destroyed in the tornado.
