ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters):

Severe thunderstorms and at least one tornado killed 19 people yesterday when they ripped through Florida in the dead of night, tearing homes to shreds, toppling heavy trucks and leaving a trail of rubble.

More than 500 homes, buildings and churches were damaged or destroyed across a wide area of central Florida north of the key tourism region around Orlando, but Walt Disney Co.'s Disney World resort was not affected.

Search for survivors

Rescue teams fanned out in the morning to search for survivors and victims who might still be trapped under flattened homes.

The storm hit at 3:15 a.m. (0815 GMT) and a spokesman for the Lake County sheriff's office said at least one and perhaps two tornadoes touched down in a state that ranks only behind the infamous 'Tornado Alley' in the Midwest for the number of tornado strikes. Most, such as a twister on Christmas Day last year, cause no fatalities.

Christopher Patton, spokesman for the Lake County Emergency Operations Centre, told Reuters 14 people were killed - three in Lady Lake, about 40 miles (64 km) north-west of Orlando, and 11 in nearby Paisley, on the edge of the Ocala National Forest.

"We have complete devastation of homes, of businesses, religious institutions," Patton said on CNN. "It was unlike even perhaps the hurricanes of 2004 when we had minor roof damage, screen damage, pool damage. This is way far more devastating."