NWS: EF-0 tornado touched down near Winter Garden as Hermine moved through Fla.

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. — The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado touched down on Thursday night near Winter Garden.

After initial evaluation by local emergency manager, the NWS reviewed meteorological data and confirmed on Friday afternoon that a tornado did briefly touch down 6 miles southwest of Windermere.

Residents in Winter Garden woke up to toppled street signs and uprooted trees as the tornado tore through the city, propelled by the force of Hurricane Hermine.

Some residents reported seeing a funnel cloud at about 9 p.m. Thursday.

Hurricane Hermine was downgraded to a tropical storm after making landfall near Tallahassee, but to the south it's outer bands washed over Central Florida.

Winter Garden resident Miguel Lucas said when the storm rolled through, the sound was deafening.

"Last night, like 9 p.m., we heard, like, a lot of noise, a lot of wind," he said.

The NWS said Friday that it would not be sending a team to immediately survey the area, but it was working with Orange County Emergency Management to gather photos and information.

"In this area where we are now, we are seeing some trees that have fallen in drastically different directions," Emergency Management spokesman Keith Kotch said.

While the storm caused damage, officials did not report any injuries in Winter Garden, which Lucas saw as the most important thing.

"Thank God nothing happened to anybody," he said.

Cox Media Group