Severe weather, possible tornado, causes damage to businesses in DeFuniak Springs

Officials say a tornado caused damage to local businesses in Defuniak Springs Thursday afternoon.

At the shopping center across from the Winn-Dixie on Highway 331 in DeFuniak Springs, witnesses say they saw rotation similar to a tornado.

The storm caused roof damage to several local businesses, brought down trees, and blew out signs.

Walton County Emergency Management Director Jeff Goldberg says at 3:19 Thursday afternoon they received word from the national weather service that there was a possible tornado in the area.

"It looks like the tornado came over from where Winn-Dixie was, took out the sign, took out a bunch of trees, and then came across the street to where the strip mall is, did a lot of roof damage," said Goldberg.

Witnesses at a nearby store say the doors to their business broke.

"All of a sudden this little cloud, little finger came down, landed across the parking lot and a car started spinning out of its place and everything we had out front here just blew that way, and like I said the Dollar General cart went flying by," said Robert Pulley, Employee with the Tractor Supply Co.

The emergency management director says they will get more details from the national weather service later this week.