TAMPA (WFLA) — South Tampa remained largely unscathed, but Hurricane Irma certainly left her mark on the area.
Some of the signs are big, like the billboard on South Dale Mabry Highway that collapsed, leaving wooden poles sticking up. There are shredded signs, broken railroad crossing arms and debris.
8 On Your Side found workers removing trees from cars and saw cars stuck, held down by massive oak trees with shockingly shallow root systems. We also found downed power lines.
A house on San Pedro Street now has a huge tree leaning on it, taking up much of the yard. The tree is so large that it’s also on the house next door. Janine Dorsey owns the house and said her renters were inside when the tree fell.
“I just really couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing,” she said. “I mean this tree is like 80 years old, I think. That’s how old the house is. What’s most startling is the root system seems very, very insufficient.”
Despite all of that, people in South Tampa feel lucky. They know it could have been much worse.
“No one was hurt and it seems like there was just superficial damage to both houses, which is remarkable when you think about it,” Dorsey said. “I don’t think there is even any broken window.”
Tampa Electric continues to work to restore power, and now the cleanup process begins.
