ORLANDO, Fla. – The damage is still being tallied after as many as four suspected tornadoes tore through parts of the Panhandle.
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In Panama City, a marina was hit hard with buildings partially collapsed and boat trailers tipped over. Nearby, the roof of an apartment complex was ripped off.
While no deaths have been reported in Florida, there have been several injuries.
On the Gulf Coast, a confirmed tornado touched down, ripping off the roof of one apartment building and tearing down power lines. According to a preliminary report from the National Weather Service, the EF-0 tornado lasted less than one minute and reached peak wind gusts of 82 mph.
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 49 Florida counties for the next week.
On Wednesday, the National Weather Service will be sending out survey teams to the Panhandle to determine the amount of tornadoes and their strength.
Florida bill would end no-excuse needed mail-in voting
With the presidential election now just months away, a controversial new bill has been filed in Florida that would scale back voting by mail.
The bill, filed by Republican State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, would only allow people to request a mail-in ballot if they have a specific reason, like having a medical condition or being out of the area.
Anyone caught lying would face up to five years in prison. Ingoglia says mail-in-voting is less secure and the change would cut the chance for fraud.
Local election leaders, though, say it’s not needed.
“People, particularly here in Central Florida, where people are working in the tourism industry, they work in retail, we don’t work a traditional Monday through Friday, 8-to-5, and our employers give people time off to go vote,” Orange County Elections Supervisor Bill Cowles told News 6. “So this is really a step backward.”
Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo told reporters Tuesday she does not support the change, so it’s not known just how far it will get in this year’s legislative session.
Walt Disney World resumes unlimited park hopping
If you plan to visit Disney World, big changes are in store this year including some popular perks that just came back.
Among them — the return of all-day park hopping for the first time since the start of the pandemic nearly four years ago.
So, you no longer have to wait until 2 p.m. to go from park to park.
Disney dining plans are back too, with two options for pre-paid meals and snacks.
And starting Thursday, “good-to-go” days begin for annual passholders, meaning they can visit any of the four theme parks without making a reservation.
Read more about an all-new ticket offer for Florida residents here.
Random Florida Fact
Before the luxury of modern refrigeration, there were ice houses.
And in Pensacola, there was the Crystal Ice Company.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, a white roadside stand made to look like a frosty ice cave was used to supply locals with blocks of ice.
As a drive-up location, there was also an icy awning that allowed cars to pull under the canopy and signal how much ice they wanted.
And guess what? The building’s still there.
The ice house is on the list of National Register of Historic Places and is now protected by a fence with a sign nearby to explain its cool history.
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