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Cars, Tractor Trailers Flipped By Florida Tornado | The Weather Channel
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Thunderstorm Safety and Preparedness

Cars, Tractor Trailers Flipped By Florida Tornado

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Wednesday morning severe thunderstorms swept through parts of South Florida, leaving damage in Broward County, Florida.

The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado had touched down around Coconut Circle Parkway and the Florida Turnpike, turning over a tractor trailer caught in the twister's path and causing multiple accidents. 

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A truck is flipped on its side after a possible tornado touched down in Broward County, Florida, on Jan. 27, 2016.
(Broward Sheriff's Office)

"There were four crashes in the southbound lanes and two northbound. Most were single vehicle crashes, meaning they hit a wall or overturned," Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Mark Wysocky told the Sun Sentinel.

One of the accidents the severe weather caused on Florida's Turnpike took place when a southbound vehicle was uplifted by the wind and dropped into the northbound lanes close to Sample Road, according to a WPLG Miami report. 

The driver had minor injuries and was taken to Broward Health North Hospital in Deerfield Beach, said Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles.

"The good news, there's no reports of major injuries or deaths from this event," Broward Emergency Management Director Miguel Ascarrunz told NBC Miami. 

(MORE: Florida Under Severe Thunderstorm Threat

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"Most years, this is the heart of Florida's dry season, appealing to snowbirds escaping winter's wrath. January is typically Miami's driest month, with only 1.61 inches of rain, on average. However, since November 1, Miami has picked up a whopping 22.30 inches of rain through Tuesday, a record wet Nov. 1 - Jan. 26 period, there, 335 percent of the average during that period," said weather.com meteorologist Jon Erdman. 

At least six cars were tossed around a parking lot at Broward College, said Coconut Creek Police Department Sgt. Henry Cabrera. 

Several trees were uprooted and there have been reports of damage to an apartment building in Wynmoor. 

Broward College issued an alert stating that all classes and business operations on its North Campus were closed through 5 p.m Wednesday.

During the severe weather, more than 3,000 customers experienced power outages near Coconut Creek, according to Florida Power & Light spokesman Chris McGrath. 

This is a breaking news story, check back for updates. 

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Severe Weather Threats Month-by-Month

Atlanta has seen 77 tornadoes in the four counties of Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb and Fulton from 1950-2013. This is a density of 0.94 tornadoes per year per 1,000 square miles.
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Atlanta has seen 77 tornadoes in the four counties of Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb and Fulton from 1950-2013. This is a density of 0.94 tornadoes per year per 1,000 square miles.
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