At least 4 dead after tornadoes hit St. Lucie County, including mobile home park
By Allen Cone and Morgan Rynor
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ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Florida (WFOR) — At least four people died in St. Lucie County, including at least one at a senior mobile home community, after several tornadoes spawned from Hurricane Milton touched down on Wednesday, a county official confirmed Thursday morning.
Spokesman Erick Gill confirmed to CBS News Miami the total numbers of deaths in the county but didn’t give a specific number at Spanish Lakes Country Club Village near Fort Pierce. The modular homes are off the Turnpike Feeder Road, west of Route 1.
“This is like nothing other we’ve seen,” Sheriff Keith Pearson told CBS’ affiliate WPEC.
He said 12 confirmed high-strength tornadoes tore through the area within 20 minutes.
A neighbor told CBS News Miami two people near him died in a crushed home.
CBS News Miami also spoke with a couple staying in a home when the first tornado hit. They ran to a second home that had a generator and then a second tornado hit.
One damaged home had shutters put up.
There were piles of debris and a mailbox was ripped off the post.
More than 100 personnel, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol, National Guard and state Florida Fish & Wildlife on the scene, including some door-to-door at the community to conduct search and rescue operations.
They called off their search and rescue overnight because of bad weather conditions but resumed the search in the morning.
“Every possible thing we can do is being done to search the area. Check the residences and, if there is anyone inside the residences, we’re going to work through the storm to get them out,” Pearson said.
Pearson also said the SLCSO hangar was a total loss after a possible tornado ripped through the building.
At least 19 tornados were confirmed and 116 tornado warnings were issued across the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news briefing Wednesday night.
That includes a tornado in western Broward County along Alligator Alley on Wednesday morning. No damaged or injuries were reported.
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