LADY LAKE, Fla. -- The Lady Lake Church of God in central Florida was built 31 years ago to withstand winds of 150 miles per hour. It's been demolished in an overnight storm that has killed at least 19 people.

Parishioners have gathered amid the ruins, hugging each other and vowing to return bigger and stronger.

They're planning Sunday services in the empty lot.

The Rev. Larry Lynn said, "That's the building. The people are the church."

Winds from the thunderstorm that spawned at least one tornado threw church pews, the altar and Bibles into a jumbled mess.

Meantime, at The Villages retirement community, Lee Shaver said "every muscle and bone" in his body shook as he shielded his wife, Irene. They were huddled in a closet as the roof peeled away. Fence posts got stuck in the wall of their house.

He said they've lost wallets, IDs and cell phones, and don't know what to do.

At least one tornado ripped through the region.

The state Emergency Operations Center has been activated and Gov. Charlie Crist announced at 10:30 a.m. that he had declared a state of emergency for Lake, Sumter, Volusia and Seminole counties.

"I spoke with the director of FEMA and told him how important it was to get as much assistance as possible," Crist said. "I've talked with the White House. They said they would give us the full support of the federal government."

The storm destroyed mobile homes, lifted a tractor-trailer in the air and left debris clinging to tree branches. Some homes are off their foundations. One church with a steel structure has been flattened.

Power lines are down, and outages have been reported.

A Lake County spokesman says 11 deaths are reported in the town of Paisley, and three in Lady Lake.

A line of severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes ripped through Central Florida before dawn Friday morning, destroying more than 100 homes.

Officials in Lake County said there were several fatalities in Lady Lake. Emergency managers have called for a massive search and rescue effort following the storms, and they're asking for help from surrounding counties.

"This area of Lady Lake has been hit very hard by a confirmed tornado," Lake County sheriff's Sgt. Christie Mysinger told WKMG-TV. "The city of Lady Lake is in a state of emergency as declared by its mayor. And also, the county is in a state of emergency."

Heather Danehower of the Marion County Sheriff's Office, which is sending personnel to help, told WKMG-TV that 500 homes were damaged and 30 people were transported to hospitals from The Villages community, which spans Marion, Lake and Sumter counties.

Dozens of mobile homes near Lady Lake have been destroyed. Chairs, beds and clothes are strewn about yards, and debris hangs from trees. Some homes were tossed from their foundations, while others had their roofs ripped off.

Volusia County Sheriff's Office spokesman Brandon Haught said there was extensive damage in the DeLand area because of multiple tornadoes, and multiple people were trapped across the city.

Volusia County closed DeLand Middle School, Southwestern Middle School and Starke Elementary on Friday. Officials have also closed Daytona Beach Community College West Campus because of power outages and storm damage.

Several New Smyrna Beach subdivisions report extensive damage. The area around Turnbull Bay and New Smyrna Beach Airport was heavily damaged.

At least five crashes took place within a quarter-mile of each other near Interstate 4's New Smyrna Beach exit. The highway was closed for about three hours.

Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Kim Miller said the most serious incident was when a semitrailer was lifted up and landed on another semi, pinning the driver in his cab. The driver didn't suffer life-threatening injuries.

Officials have opened a shelter at "Babe" James Community Center in New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County. The state Emergency Operations Center has been activated and Gov. Charlie Crist was expected to tour the area Friday.

Progress Energy said 20,000 of its customers had lost electricity, but crews were already in the field working to restore the power.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Orange County and Seminole County Friday morning.

About 3:15 a.m., radar showed rotation early Friday morning in Oviedo and in several Volusia County cities.

Beware Price Gouging

Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson urged state residents Friday to report any instances of price gouging in the wake of the tornadoes that tore through four Central Florida counties overnight.

Under Florida law, it is unlawful to charge exorbitant or excessive prices for essential items, including shelter, gasoline, food, water, ice, generators or lumber, following the declaration of an emergency, unless the increases in the amount charged are attributable to additional costs incurred by retailers.

Individuals or businesses found to have engaged in price gouging face fines of up to $1,000 per violation, or up to a maximum fine of $25,000 a day.

"We're asking consumers to come forward and let us know if any retailers have exploited our citizens or are profiteering from the tornadoes," Bronson said. "This activity is not only reprehensible, it's illegal."

Bronson is asking residents who have any evidence that price gouging has occurred or is occurring to report it at once to his department's toll-free hotline at 1-800-435-7352.

In addition to the price gouging oversight, Bronson's Division of Forestry is providing assistance in clearing roads and removing debris.