Cleanup underway after Hurricane Hermine rips through Tallahassee

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Channel 9 reporter Jeff Deal was in Tallahassee when Hurricane Hermine made landfall as a category one at 1:30 a.m. on Friday.

Hermine knocked down power lines, trees and flooded streets.

The cleanup is extensive for residents.

At one point, there were 70,000 power outages in Tallahassee. Crews were working throughout the day trying to fix the outages.

The cleanup is underway in neighborhoods.

"The wind kept increasing and the rain kept increasing," said homeowner Joe Williams.

Williams said Thursday night two trees snapped and crashed onto his roof.

One of them went into his living room.

"It made a jarring sensation to the house. I felt the whole house shake," said Williams.

Williams said he is thankful he and his wife are OK.

"Well, we're just blessed," said Williams.

OUC sent nine crews from Orlando to help in Tallahassee.

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum says power outages are "pretty ubiquitous" and that three-quarters of the city customers didn't have electricity following Hurricane Hermine ripping though the city in the early morning hours Friday.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said many homes lost electricity as Hermine crossed the state, but so far he's heard of few other "major issues."

The number rose to 99 percent in Wakulla County on the marshy Gulf of Mexico coastline south of Tallahassee where Hermine made landfall early Friday.

The Orange County Stormwater Management Division reported it was actively monitoring its system, but no incidents of flooding had been reported as a result of the storm.

Hurricane Hermine weakened and just before 5 a.m. was downgraded to a tropical storm.

When Hermine hit Florida, it was the first hurricane the state had seen since Wilma in 2005.

The last hurricane to hit the U.S. was Arthur in 2014.

Hermine was a category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph and made landfall  just east of St. Marks in Wakulla County.

Hermine will continue travel toward the northeast and affect beach conditions for New England during this Labor Day Weekend.

In Central Florida, beach conditions will gradually improve and summer-like pattern will be back this holiday weekend.

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