VERO BEACH — Police, National Guard troops and Florida Fish and Wildlife officers are going door-to-door for welfare checks after reports of a tornado that struck Central Beach on the barrier island, said City Manager Monte Falls. On the mainland, at least two possible tornadoes made landfall near the Vero Beach Police Department, flinging tree limbs in the air and scattering debris, said Kelsea Callahan, a spokesperson for the agency.
“We’re making sure residents are okay. Our efforts were exacerbated by flooding,” Falls said. “We have reports of 6 and a half inches of rain that fell in a three-hour period. In the last 24 hours we had more than 9 inches of rain.”
No injuries were reported Wednesday evening for Indian River County. Images and videos spread on social media of downed trees, overturned cars, flooded streets, debris and more damage after weather experts issued several tornado warnings ahead of Hurricane Milton.
Falls said city officials began receiving texts about the tornado about 6 p.m. at Central Beach.
Falls said the east end of the Merrill P. Barber and Alma Lee Loy bridges were impassable – except for first responder vehicles – because of flooding. Authorities closed both bridges Wednesday afternoon after officials said Indian River County would receive sustained 45 mph winds with gusts up to 80 mph.
The city manager said first responders will continue doing welfare checks overnight for island residents. Possible tornadoes also swooped down on the mainland at the Vero Beach Police Department headquarters.
Police officials said the agency’s weather station recorded a 95-mph wind gust about 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Falls said a tornado made landfall at Commerce Avenue and 17th Street. The tornado snapped a tree at the Vero Beach Police Department and also damaged the COMO Oil & Propane gas station and Pocahontas Park, Falls said.
Meteorologists could not immediately confirm if tornadoes struck the police department. It will take weather experts a few days to assess the damage and confirm if tornadoes hit the department, NWS officials said.
Meteorologists said a tornado that formed further to the south in St. Lucie County moved into southern Indian River County on Wednesday and caused damage. Weather experts with the National Weather Service said they have reports of damage in Indian River County, but no specifics yet.
At least two tornadoes formed in St. Lucie and Martin counties on Wednesday, said Jessie Schaper, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
Milton slightly weakened to a Category 2 hurricane with 110 mph maximum sustained winds, according to the 10 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center. Milton was traveling east northeast at 16 mph.
The hurricane hit Siesta Key along Florida’s Gulf Coast Wednesday night and was projected to travel toward the east coast and exit near Brevard County and into the Atlantic Ocean.
Photos provided by Vero Beach Police Department
