Mixon Fruit Farms hit by tornado overnight, owner says
MANATEE -- The awning and sections of the roof on Honey Bell Hall, a 15,000-square-foot meeting place at the north end of Mixon Fruit Farms, 2525 27th St. E., Bradenton, were blown off by what could have been a tornado early Thursday.
"It had to be a tornado because it twisted metal and went down one strip only," co-owner Janet Mixon said Thursday. "The rest of our building, including our retail area, was not damaged."
The apparent tornado also twisted a metal gate and took out a maintenance room window, Mixon said.
The farm and store remain open, Mixon added.
The National Weather Service in Ruskin did not get any reports of a tornado in Manatee County overnight, but it is going through its data to see if the hook signs of a tornado were present overnight in Manatee County, said meteorologist Rodney Wynn.
"We did get reports of 30- or 40-mph winds but no tornadoes in Manatee County yet," Wynn said Thursday morning. "There was a tornado reported in Fort Myers."
A kitchen worker first noticed the damage early Thursday, said Mixon, whose father-in-law, Bill Mixon, ran the business for many decades and still lives nearby.
"My father-in-law said a garbage can is missing from his property," Janet Mixon added.
The tornado seemed to come from west to east and first tore down the smaller Mixon sign across the street from the business, Janet Mixon said.
"It didn't hit our big lighted sign," Mixon said. "But it knocked out a window in the maintenance room and took off the awning from Honey Bell Hall. It didn't touch our wedding area. Chairs were all in the exact same places."
A similar wind event tore part of the same roof off last year resulting in $50,000 damage, Mixon said.
"This damage is worse," Mixon added.
Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7072 or contact him via Twitter@RichardDymond.
This story was originally published February 6, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Mixon Fruit Farms hit by tornado overnight, owner says ."