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Twister Touches Down At Delray Beach Church

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DELRAY BEACH (CBSMiami) -- A brief tornado touched down in Delray Beach Thursday morning causing a big mess for those unfortunate enough to be caught in its path.

High winds picked up Thursday morning at St. Mary's Anglican Church, near Homewood Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue. Surveillance video shows the wind swirl around the church courtyard and whip up tables and chairs.

It was terrible timing for the delivery man, who arrived to deliver a package at the same time. When the church's assistant opened the door to let him in, the rush of wind nearly swept them both away.

"I felt like I was being sucked out into a tornado," said J.P. Listick. "You know when you feel like you're being sucked out. So I grabbed the door and Ryan grabbed me. And he's 6'2". It took the two of us to close the door."

After the EF-0 tornado blew through, tree limbs and debris were left scattered all over the church's yard. The metal fence was bent and power lines were knocked down.

A few blocks away, Patricia Kretzschmar saw patio furniture fly by and across the pond behind her home.

"It was so quick! It was so quick, it's like it was just a couple of minutes," said Kretzschmar.

The wind sent the glass table crashing onto Bob Winters' back patio.

"I said to my wife, I said look at the wind all of a sudden coming this way. And then I just turned around and all of a sudden, like a big 'whoosh,'" said Winters. "She saw the wind swirling, things went crashing and flying. We got up and ran to the back."

The National Weather Service estimated the winds to be between 65-85 mph.

Listick said she was thankful no one was hurt.

"It's all external. And everybody's okay, so we're very blessed. Very thankful," she said.

The reported citing comes as storms are forecast in Florida for the rest of the afternoon.

The day before a tornado hit parts of Broward County. Clean up crews are working to rid the affected areas of debris. 

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