COOPER CITY, Fla. – Several streets, neighborhoods and local businesses in Cooper City sustained extensive damage Tuesday night, and the damage is continuing Wednesday as Hurricane Ian draws closer to a Category 5 storm.
The outer bands of Hurricane Ian left streets completely flooded and some roads blocked as trees continued to collapse by the multiple tornadoes that came through around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Local 10 viewer Jesus Rubio sent in video Tuesday night of strong winds hitting the Publix on Sheridan Street and Pine Island Road near Brian Piccolo Park.
A Local 10 News viewer shared this video from the parking lot of the Publix Supermarket at 9359 Sheridan St. pic.twitter.com/Hzvyvcl6hO
— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) September 28, 2022
The video shows the damage that the Publix in Cooper City sustained after doors ripped open, branches fell and water and debris were blown inside.
On Wednesday morning, the same Publix had been cleaned up significantly but you could see all of the branches that were snapped off and the work that is being done by crews, which began early in the morning.
The store is open Wednesday.
Video taken by Local 10′s Ian Margol showed people wakeboarding as streets continued to flood in Cooper City Wednesday.
Local 10 spotted a family just a few blocks away from the Publix that said the tornado went straight through their yard.
Cooper City resident Chris Heywang told Local 10 News that the tornado cut through his family’s property.
“When we came here and pulled up the driveway we couldn’t see the house because of all of the trees that were down in front of the house, we got a little worried,” said Heywang.
Surveillance video from a home on Darlington Place shows the moment just before 7:30 p.m. when the winds began whipping, sending trash cans skidding, debris flying and snapping tree limbs like twigs.
Many residents in Cooper City are dealing with a few trees that fell onto their homes, gates destroyed and the impacts from Hurricane Ian creating a lot of work for them to clean up.
“In my years, I’ve never seen damage in this neighborhood extensive like this except for Hurricane Andrew,” Heywang said.
Officials say that no injuries have been reported in the storm’s aftermath.