State of emergency declared in parts of Florida after tornadoes, damaging winds

Lines of severe storms with damaging winds and tornadoes moved through the Southeast during the early morning Saturday toppling trees and damaging homes.

Damage reports stretched from North Carolina to Florida with strong winds being the main culprit for the damage.

One of the hardest hit areas was Ocala, Florida where emergency management said at least one tornado moved through.

Photos show snapped trees, roof damage to homes and at least on 18-wheeler that was knocked over by a severe storm.

Nearly 50,000 electric outages were reported across the Sunshine State on Saturday as the severe storms rolled through.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management said they were supporting local authorities on efforts to clean-up after the system and the governor declared a state of emergency for several counties in an effort to facilitate with clean up.

The Red Cross opened a shelter for victims who were displaced by the storms in North Central Florida.

Further down the state, beachgoers in Fort Myers were surprised by a waterspout that moved ashore on Saturday morning.

Despite the severe weather, there were no immediate reports of significant injuries.

The stormy weather moved off the East Coast, leaving behind windy and cool conditions.

Gusts of more than 50 mph were reported behind the front.

Winds are expected to relax overnight, allowing temperatures to drop into record low territory.