Posted: 07/25/2012
THE ACREAGE, Fla. - Strong winds and a heavy dose of rain are to blame for a wild night of weather throughout Palm Beach County.
Several reports surfaced on Tuesday night of downed trees, broken power lines and scattered debris on roads.
In Riviera Beach, a power line was draped across the road and in Wellington, a traffic signal line dipped low near a busy intersection.
A similar scene unfolded in Suburban Lake Worth where a power poll leaned dangerously, hovering over passing traffic.
Scene after scene a result of high winds and drenching that caught so many commuters and residents off guard.
"It was scary. When we came how we just sat in the truck. We waited for the storm to go by and when we came out we went, 'wow look at the damage,'" said Daniel Girard, an Acreage resident.
When Daniel Girard and his wife Veronica inspected their home on the 13000 block of 41st Lane North after the storm blew over, they were stunned and left in the dark. The couple discovered a tree had crashed down and took the power line that runs to their home with it to the ground.
"I said oh my God, we have nothing. I said you know what the heck you know. I looked over and the tree branches were all down and our lines and I said, it came off the house completely. Then I looked over and I saw the my little gazebo and then I thought oh no, everything I worked hard for," said Veronica Girard.
The Girards were without power for a few hours and would have had to spend the night that way on Tuesday had they not had a back up plan.
"I saw the tarp blow across the road, but hey, we'll survive it. We got a generator to last us through the night and in the morning maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow," said Girard.
By Wednesday morning the Girards, like the rest of those affected by the storm, are hoping the mess is gone.
The Girards said FPL told them crews would be out Wednesday morning to assess the situation.
Several YouReporters sent in photos of the storm. To see the pictures or submit your own, click here.
Or cut and paste this link in your browser: http://contests.wptv.com/engine/Details.aspx?PageType=APPROVED&contestid=26810
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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