LONGWOOD, Fla. — It was one year ago when a powerful EF2 tornado tore through a Longwood neighborhood, seriously damaging several homes, stunning neighbors and somehow causing no serious injuries.
What You Need To Know
The National Weather Service says an EF2 tornado hit the Whispering Winds subdivision with winds up to 120 mph one year ago.
The storm caused a house to collapse and damage to many homes, but no serious injuries
Emergency Managers say strong cold weather fronts can bring tornadoes to our area, and families need to have emergency plans in place.
The National Weather Service says the powerful tornado touched down around 9:35 a.m. on March 10, 2025, and quickly swept through the Whispering Winds Subdivision.
The NWS stated winds up to 120 miles per hour caused a home on Blue Iris Place to collapse.
One year later, people who were at home when the storm swept through are sharing their stories of surviving five minutes of terror.
Josh Lay’s home security camera showed the stunning force of the EF2 tornado that plowed through his yard, wiping out his roof, screen enclosure and back yard fence. It then plowed toward Blue Iris Place where it did the most destruction.
Kelly Bert was baking in the kitchen when the winds rattled her home.
“The scariest thing was the banging on the house. It was banging and popping,” she recalled.
Bert ran into a closet under their staircase and put a bunch of clothes between her and the closet door.
“It just was sucking in, and I could see it moving and shaking, and that was when things got really scary,” she said.
Bert said that the trees that fell on her house shattered windows, creating a wind tunnel filled with flying glass. The twister wiped out their roof and back yard patio.
Neighbors say five minutes after the twister swept in it was gone, leaving behind a long path of destruction and a string of urgent 911 calls.
One man called 911 saying, “I’m looking at the window and it’s gone. It collapsed on him. The garage is done. Part of the house is done. It’s an older couple. I don’t know if anybody was there or not.”
The pummeling winds destroyed the house of Richard and Betty Grelecki on Blue Iris Place and did serious damage to the home next door.
Other families lost their roofs, their lanais, and many other items caught up in the whipping winds.
One year later, the two badly damaged houses have been leveled, almost all the roofs have been replaced, and families are restoring their back yards.
Shirin Ebrahimi was home with her two young daughters in their game room when the tornado shattered the windows during a 30-second nightmare.
“Me and my kids started crying and screaming, and I tried to find a safe place for us, but I couldn’t. It was quick,” she explained.
Today, there are still signs of the storm’s damage at Shirin’s house. Their new roof is almost finished. The large oaks downed by fierce winds are gone. Some screens and their lanai still bear scars from the storm as they continue to work with their insurance company to get everything fixed.
“We really responded very similar to a hurricane, but much smaller,” said Alan Harris, Seminole County’s Emergency manager.
Harris says strong cold fronts can bring sudden tornadoes to the area, and families should practice their emergency plan ahead of time.
“Know where you’re going to go. Interior room. Lower level, away from any windows and doors,” he said.
Richard Grelecki did not share his survival story right after the tornado. Spectrum News 13 spoke with him off camera for this story.
He says the tornado tore through his house in 10 seconds while he and his wife hunkered down near his office waiting for it to pass. He’s still amazed that they were not hurt.
Grelecki showed Spectrum News 13 the photo of his damaged home, which he framed to remind his family how important their faith is. He also showed the blueprints of the smaller, single-story house they plan to build where their two-story once stood.
These powerful images of destruction linger in the minds of survivors as they reflect on a year of blue tarps, insurance claims and rebuilding their lives.
Bert reflected on it.
“You know, it happened and so we’re just trying to keep going, keep moving forward and put the pieces, literally back together,” Bert said.
Harris says each county in our area has an emergency alert system, and residents can register to receive emergency updates from their county.
Residents can also use the Spectrum News app to get weather alerts right where you live to keep your family safe.