Parts of South Florida flooded after tornado lands in Broward County

Flood watch in effect until Friday night for Miami-Dade, Broward counties

DAVIE, Fla. ā€“ A major cleanup is underway in a Davie neighborhood on Castle Gate Drive after Wednesday night's severe weather caused a 50-foot black olive tree to topple over.

Meanwhile, a flood watch is in effect until Friday night for Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Officials from the National Weather Service responded to the Davie neighborhood Thursday and said an EF0 category tornado (the smallest category) landed in the area.

"All of a sudden, I heard a wind coming through that reminded me of Wilma when it came through," homeowner Bob Wolinksy said. "I figured I knew this tree was massive, and I looked out the front door, and this tree was lying across the road."

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The olive tree narrowly missed Wolinsky's house.

"I'm glad it fell to the street because this is a massive tree," he said. "If it hit the house, I wouldn't have a house left."

Video from a neighbor's home shows the strength of the wind gusts, which tossed furniture into a pool and created a mess for the homeowner.

Another neighbor on the block said she is preparing for more nasty weather.

"I just wanted to get rid of debris, (because) I don't know if we are going to get harsh weather again," Courtney Chin said. "I don't want it to fly into my neighbor's yard or cause any more extensive (damage) than there is already, so I cleaned it up immediately."

Officials said other trees in Broward County were uprooted as well.

The heavy rainfall also left many areas flooded, including in Oakland Park, where several road were shut down Thursday.

Below is a list of the Oakland Park road closures from the city's website:

-NE 6th Avenue at Prospect Road (North)
-NE 3rd Avenue north of Park Lane East to NE 40th StreetĀ 
-NE 5th and 6th Avenues, in the warehouse district, south of Prospect Road and north of Park Lane EastĀ 
-NE 12th Terrace, south of Commercial Boulevard and north of Florinada RoadĀ 
-NE 61nd Street between NE 6th Avenue and NE 2nd Avenue
-Andrews Avenue Extension from NE 61nd Street to 58th Street

City officials also said flood warning signs have been posted along Northeast 56th Street in front of Northeast High School.

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About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.