COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Florida Gateway Pro Rodeo in Lake City, Fla., the site of Friday’s tornado that left one dead, damaged or destroyed 60 homes and 10 businesses and left a trail of devastation 2 miles long, will go on as scheduled this weekend.
That’s according to committee chairman Mike Nelson, whose city has been slammed by two twisters in a span of 15 months.
“Friday was just a little wild around here,” Nelson said. “We’re still on for the rodeo. From where our arena is, the tornado came down about a mile and a half away and went straight across, west to east. It left a 100-foot swath of destruction. But we’re OK.”
Lake City, located about halfway between Tallahassee and Jacksonville at the junction of Interstates 10 and 75, is home to nearly 12,000 people. The Florida Gateway Pro Rodeo features three performances from March 14-16.
“Some people talk about bull riders staying on for 8 seconds, and how long that must feel,” Nelson said. “We had about 35 seconds of hell.”
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