Severe weather makes for eventful evening in Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. — Things had settled down by Tuesday evening after a wild weather day in Central Florida.

Neighborhoods were drenched with rain, blown by gusty winds and pounded by hail.

The round of severe weather caused problems for travelers at Orlando International Airport.

Some passengers ran into even more trouble, because there was a ground stop in effect that affected many flights heading north.

Flights were delayed and canceled late Tuesday because of the snow, ice and wind in northern cities.

From Ocoee to Oviedo, hail and strong winds pounded Central Florida Tuesday for four to five hours.

Viewer after viewer sent Channel 9 photos of pingpong ball-sized hail at their homes.

On Mills and Forsyth roads in Orange County, crews worked to repair downed power lines after a lightning strike.

"It was loud," a resident said. "(It) sounded like a gunshot, and I haven't seen it get that windy in a long time."

Full Sail University experienced power outages Tuesday.

The school said on Twitter Tuesday afternoon that classes were canceled for the day and will resume Wednesday at 9 a.m.

Classrooms and buildings on campus were dark. Crews were seen arriving at campus to repair the outages.

Thursday's storms moved eastward at 45 mph.

Some areas received more than 3 inches of rainfall, and several areas were under a tornado warning. Residents were advised to stay indoors and in the lower level of their homes.

The average delay times at OIA have ranged from 30 minutes to almost one hour.

Airport officials said passengers should check with airlines about the status of upcoming flights. Click here to check a flight's status.

Cox Media Group