A severe thunderstorm that moved over Polk County on Thursday may have been good for plants, but not for planes.
The National Weather Service issued an alert at 1:15 p.m. Thursday warning that a line of storms was moving diagonally across the state in a northeasterly direction.
The storm was expected to dump lots of rain on our area and there was a chance of wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour, which could damage roofs, siding and trees. A tornado watch was in effect until 3 p.m. People were encouraged to avoid driving through water and to seek shelter in the interior room on the lowest floor of a building.
Sun ‘n Fun canceled its daytime airshow for the safety of pilots and spectators. Organizers said they will honor Thursday wristbands, tickets, preferred seating and photo preferred upgrades for Friday entry. The 9/27 club ticket holders for Thursday will be offered a Thursday 2025 ticket at no cost. The Sunset Aerial Circus is still scheduled for 7 p.m.
At 2:15 p.m., Lakeland Electric reported nearly 900 people without power in the Winston area around US 92 close to County Line Road, north of Lakeland Linder International Airport. A downed overhead power line that was reported around 2:20 p.m. also left about 25 households in the Camphor Heights neighborhood, east of Lincoln Avenue between Leyte Street and West Shady Lane, without electricity for several hours.
Polk County Public Schools spokesman Jason Geary said there were no district-wide adjustments to bus schedules or after-school activities.
By 3 p.m. the storms had shifted slightly south of Lakeland.