Hurricane Milton Triggers Tornadoes and Destruction Across Florida’s East Coast
STUART, Fla. (AP) — As Hurricane Milton wreaks havoc on Florida’s west coast, the east coast grapples with the aftermath of multiple tornado touchdowns, leaving devastation in their wake.
Authorities in Port St. Lucie have reported several fatalities linked to tornadic activity. The St. Lucie Sheriff’s Office noted that the Spanish Lakes community, located just east of Lakewood Park in Fort Pierce, experienced multiple tornadoes on Wednesday. Officials indicated that these tornadoes may be responsible for the tragic loss of life in the area.
Fire rescue and emergency crews have launched recovery missions while awaiting the arrival of the National Guard. A steel structure in the area, which housed the Sheriff’s Office fleet of vehicles, was crumpled by a tornado, collapsing as easily as “tin foil.”
Sheriff Keith Pearson shared a video on social media, urging the public to remain vigilant about the perilous conditions. “Nobody was in there at the time; this thing came through and took this out within a moment. We’re gonna step back inside for some shelter,” he stated.
While officials have not yet confirmed the exact number of fatalities, recovery efforts are ongoing. In Stuart, the Colonial Heights mobile home park was struck by a tornado, resulting in extensive damage to several homes.
One resident recounted, “Our fence got destroyed… basically our fence and our porch were the only things really damaged at our house.” He expressed concern for his neighbors, whose homes suffered catastrophic damage. “Just seeing it like this is awful,” he added.
Another resident, Alex Enck, returned home to find his family’s house lifted off its foundation but was relieved that his family was mostly unharmed. “I had just gotten off work and going to my house when my cousin called to say there was a tornado that touched down right between these two houses,” he explained.
Kaetlynn Enck shared her family’s harrowing experience, stating they had previously weathered many storms, but Hurricane Milton was the one that caused significant damage. “They’ve been through Wilma, Gene, Andrew, every other hurricane in this house, but Milton is the one that broke it,” she noted.
Kaetlynn recalled the terrifying moment the tornado hit, saying, “I just barely was able to dive on top of my daughter when the tornado ripped through the house. She’s my miracle baby.”
One mobile home, which sheltered four generations of a family during the storm, miraculously emerged with everyone safe. Wayne Sweitzer, a long-time resident of the mobile home park, described the moment: “All of a sudden we heard that train sound. And I jumped up, my wife jumped up, we ran, the kids ran into the living room.”
Tornadoes were reported from various neighborhoods to highways, with cellphone footage capturing a driver inadvertently driving through a developing tornado on the turnpike and I-95. Massive twisters overturned tractor-trailers and an 18-wheeler in Martin and Indian River Counties.
In Palm Beach Gardens, another tornado caused significant damage to the Avenir Development, as shown in videos of overturned vehicles and debris strewn across the area.
To ensure public safety, Martin County has implemented a curfew starting at 9 p.m., lasting until 6 a.m. on Thursday, to discourage travel on the roads. 7News will continue to provide updates on potential curfews in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
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