Tornadoes injure several in sweep across state

? Mother Nature muttered a big “Humbug” Monday as a statewide storm twirled tornadoes at Floridians celebrating Christmas.

Volusia County seemed hardest hit in Central Florida, though Lake, Osceola and Sumter counties also were slammed by the fast-moving storm.

In Volusia, a twister walloped four DeLand-area mobile-home parks – damaging 100 to 200 homes – then went on to clobber a Daytona Beach apartment complex, where 200 people were evacuated. Two people were critically injured and five others suffered minor injuries because of the storm.

“I’ve heard the damage is widespread and pretty significant,” said Volusia County Fire Services spokeswoman Shelley Szafraniec. Search-and-rescue teams were expected to work throughout the night.

About 50 of 65 airplanes at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach were damaged when heavy winds threw them against buildings, snapped off wings or caused them to overturn.

Roads were closed in the DeLand and Daytona Beach areas because of downed power lines and storm debris.