Severe weather sweeps Florida: 50 homes damaged

25 homes were damaged in Sunrise and 25 in Plantation

      Severe weather has damaged more than 50 homes in several Florida towns, officials said, and schools in the Florida Keys were canceled Wednesday because of heavy rain and frequent lightning. No serious injuries were reported. Damage assessments were under way in Plantation and Sunrise, Florida, after a suspected tornado swept through south Florida about 10 p.m. Tuesday.

At the time, a tornado warning for the area was expiring, said Joel Gordon, battalion chief for the Plantation Fire Department. Gordon said about 25 homes were damaged in Plantation. In Sunrise, another 25 were damaged, with six classified as uninhabitable. Three people sustained minor injuries in Plantation, but none were transported to a hospital, Gordon said. Some gas leaks from propane cylinders were reported, he said, and "we were able to secure those without any major damage or issues."

Monroe County, Florida, which encompasses the Keys, canceled schools Wednesday as bands of thunderstorms with frequent lightning moved through, according to a statement from Sunny Booker, safe school coordinator for the county school district. The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for the area, the notice said.