As Hurricane Milton moves toward the Atlantic, St. Lucie County Emergency Management officials strongly urge residents to avoid roads and remain indoors until it is deemed safe to do so.
An official press release states that unnecessary traffic or pedestrians will hinder response and recovery efforts.
First responders, public works, and utility teams are carrying out response and recovery efforts following two confirmed tornadoes that touched down ahead of Hurricane Milton on Wednesday, October 9, starting at 4:30 p.m. The St. Lucie County medical examiner has confirmed four deaths as a result of these tornadoes.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/8458186620942594
Video from St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson
Numerous homes and structures across St. Lucie County, including the city of Port St. Lucie and unincorporated areas, suffered significant damage.
The hardest-hit areas include:
Spanish Lakes Country Club Village
Portofino Shores
Holiday Pines
Lakewood Park
South Florida Logistics Center 95
Sunnier Palms Park and Campground
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Garage
In response to the growing need for shelter, St. Lucie County has partnered with St. Lucie Public Schools and the Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie County to open an additional shelter at Fort Pierce Central High School for residents displaced by the tornadoes. Nurses and crisis counselors are on-site to assist those in need.
As of 6:35 a.m. Thursday, more than 64,000 customers were without power in St. Lucie County. Florida Power & Light (FPL) reports 48,870 outages, while Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) has 15,567 affected customers. St. Lucie County remains committed to the safety and well-being of its residents during this difficult time.
Hurricane Milton spawns 36 tornadoes in Florida. At least four people have died from one in St. Lucie County.
Hurricane Milton was an extremely intense storm that rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a powerful Category 5 hurricane before gradually weakening as it moved across Florida’s west coast near Siesta Key as a Category 3, then losing strength as it crossed Central Florida and exited into the Atlantic near the Cape Canaveral area.
Along its path, it left heavy rains, tornadoes, devastation, and fatalities.
Multiple tornadoes were reported in Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast, causing severe damage to properties and vehicles. In St. Lucie County, at least four fatalities have been reported from at least two confirmed tornadoes in a Fort Pierce community.
Two fatalities were reported in St. Petersburg.
https://fb.watch/v7FEEDwE-L/?mibextid=WC7FNe Official Press Release
MILTON DAMAGE UPDATE🌀
Over the coming days and weeks, Martin County School District teams will visit campuses to assess damage caused by Hurricane Milton.
Unfortunately, Murray High School has suffered significant damage, as seen in this video. Safety remains our top priority as we evaluate all sites and begin the path to recovery.
We are all Martin County. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by Hurricane Milton. Together, we will rebuild and come back stronger.
Stay tuned for updates on the status of our campuses and how our community can support our students, families, and employees in need.
In St. Pete, authorities confirmed two people lost their lives, bringing the total death toll to six at this time.
Images: Facebook
