INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Meteorologists surveyed the damage along with the tracks of tornadoes that swept through the area Wednesday, including one that began in St. Lucie County – claiming six lives – before moving north.
“There are very densely damaged areas. We’ll have two teams out. One is going to Martin County as well,” said Brendan Schaper, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne. Meteorologists rated the deadly tornado that tore through the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in Fort Pierce as an EF-3 with 155-mph peak winds, traveling 13 miles and leaving a trail of 500 yards of destruction.
The team surveying damage in Indian River County started in the Highlands area on Saturday morning and headed north to the barrier island, where a tornado left significant damage in Central Beach. The tornadoes also destroyed homes in the Highlands in south county and toppled signs, railroad crossing arms and power lines in downtown Vero Beach.
Meteorologists will also inspect areas near U.S. 1. in Vero Beach.
Video by Nick Samuel
“We’re doing additional damage surveys for the tornadoes that happened on Wednesday before Hurricane Milton moved into the area. We’re going down on the ground where the rotation tracks were for the radar and taking pictures and looking at damage indicators to determine the strength of the tornado,” said Matt Volkmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne. “We already surveyed down in St. Lucie County where we determined there was an EF-3 tornado that went through parts of Fort Pierce. That tornado tracked into southeast Indian River County which we’re surveying this morning.”
The tornadoes came hours before Hurricane Milton swooped across the state late Wednesday and exited east into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.
Emergency service officials on Thursday said four tornadoes touched down in Indian River County, which meteorologists have yet to confirm. The National Weather Service issued 126 tornado warnings statewide on Wednesday, with several of the advisories focused on Indian River County.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency – or FEMA – provided funding to 34 counties, including Indian River County, after President Biden approved a major disaster declaration on Friday for Florida. The funds will assist individuals and households, along with emergency work and repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.
Gov. DeSantis issued a state of emergency for Indian River County on Sunday ahead of Hurricane Milton, allowing the county to receive state funds for hurricane relief. County Administrator John Titkanich declared a local state of emergency on Monday.
Photos by Nick Samuel
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- NWS Meteorologist Matt Volkmer takes pictures of tornado damage in the Highlands area.
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- NWS Meteorologists Jared Heil (left) and Matt Volkmer speak with residents in the Highlands which had extensive tornado damage.
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- NWS Meteorologists Jared Heil and Matt Volkmer speak with residents in the Highlands which had extensive tornado damage.
