‘Strangers came together’: Highlands recovering from catastrophic tornado damage

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Barbara Bedell remembers looking out her window and seeing a “big, black, smoky mass” in the skies above. Moments later, the roof came crashing down behind her as she and her two dogs quickly made their way from the family room into the study room.

“Everything kept collapsing behind us. We kept going forward,” said Bedell, 72, of Indian River County. “We finally got to the living room and it was over in a matter of 30 seconds. That’s how quick it was. If I hadn’t gotten up out of that room when I saw that black cloud, we would probably be dead or seriously hurt because the roof would’ve collapsed on me.”

Some of the outer walls collapsed as Bedell’s home, along with other Highland residences, took a direct hit from a tornado that Hurricane Milton spawned on Wednesday afternoon. The inside of Bedell’s living room and family room can be seen from the outside.

National Weather Service meteorologists confirmed on Sunday that the EF-3 tornado that formed in St. Lucie County – killing at least six people – moved into southern Indian River County. The tornado slightly weakened to an EF-2, with 125-to-135 mph winds, before it swooped down on the Highlands, meteorologists said.

Emergency service officials said a tornado hit Central Beach and left significant damage. Meteorologists said two back-to-back tornadoes swept through downtown Vero Beach within 30 minutes of each other.

No fatalities were reported for Indian River County. Bedell said she was still in shock on Sunday.

“I don’t think my brain has realized what happened. Nobody expected a tornado to come through this street,” said Bedell, who has lived at her home on 21st Street Southwest for 22 years. “I want to salvage my sentimental items.”

The same small home, built in 1959, survived the back-to-back storms Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne in 2004, Bedell said. The parts of the home made of concrete and cinder block remained intact during the tornado, while the additions built of wood and cement crumbled.

Even with the warnings of the oncoming Hurricane Milton approaching from the west coast, the swarm of tornadoes was unexpected for Indian River County, residents say. Some homes in the Highlands community are uninhabitable, with roofs tossed into neighbors’ yards, front doors blown off the hinges and extensive water damage.

‘He shielded us with his body’

Across the street, Vanessa Hamilton said her son Noah Hamilton, 23, saw the tornado forming outside. Noah grabbed his mother and sister, Avery, 17, and held them in the interior doorway as the tornado passed over.

The three family members, along with three dogs, waited in desperation as parts of their home caved in.

“Noah’s the hero. He shielded us with his body,” Hamilton said. “We got hit hard. It went right through here. The last few days have been a blur.”

Hamilton said her roof was torn off down to the plywood and that her back porch was demolished. The mother said the ceiling in the dining room came down and her tree was flown into her back porch.

“It was raining in my dining room, kitchen and living room,” Hamilton said. “There’s water damage to parts of my floor. The beam in the ceiling will have to be replaced.”

Helping the Highlands community

With disaster comes the urge to help. Neighbors, fire rescue crews, Habitat for Humanity, members from First Church of the Nazarene and more good Samaritans dropped off sandwiches, pizza, water and more items for residents over the weekend along 21st Street Southwest.

Hamilton said 29 people came to her home to help the day after the tornado struck. The helpers put a tarp on Hamilton’s roof, cleaned up debris and helped remove damaged furniture from the home.

“Fortunately, the family items stayed safe,” Hamilton said.

Byran Lang, 33, of Vero Beach, said Hamilton is a fellow church member at Nazarene. Lang said more than 20 church members came to Hamilton’s aid.

“We got the call and jumped into action. We started Thursday morning,” Lang said. “The Highlands needs help. We never thought a tornado would come through here. It’s devastation.”

Hamilton’s children, Noah, Avery, Austin, 21, Alexa, 25 and her husband Matthew, 26, along with others, also helped remove damaged furniture at Bedell’s residence across the street. Bedell, a former healthcare worker and single mother of five, said she was putting her dry items in a PODS storage unit and staying at her son Francis’ residence in Sebastian in the meantime.

Hamilton said she was staying with friends while her home is repaired.

A stranger becomes an angel

Bedell’s daughter, Irish Konklin, 38, of New York, and son, Patrick, 44, of New Jersey, both flew down to Vero Beach on Thursday to help their mother. Bedell’s oldest son Francis, 44, was also helping the mother remove debris from the home.

Konklin said she put a message on Facebook asking about her mother in the Highlands after news spread about the deadly tornadoes. Then a stranger, Stacey Watson-Mesley, replied and helped organize a community of volunteers using social media to check on Bedell and help her in the aftermath.

Watson-Mesley said Konklin put a message in the Vero Beach Neighborhood Facebook group, and she replied “Hey, I live right there.” Watson-Mesley said she went to Bedell’s home for a welfare check and took pictures of the damage while Konklin arranged a flight to Florida.

“I’m so thankful for Stacey. Facebook was her megaphone,” Konklin said. “We wouldn’t be here if she didn’t answer the call. She’s an angel. People drove by with food going from house-to-house with chicken and rice. Strangers came together. I can’t even begin to thank everyone.”

Watson-Mesley said she realized they needed a community mobilization. She said the efforts will need to continue until all the residents are safe and have their homes cleaned up.

Surviving items

Amid the scenes of twisted metal, collapsed walls and overturned furniture, a few items remained untouched by the path of the tornado.

One such item was a small statue showing the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The statue sat in the backyard as the tornado pushed through on Wednesday, leveling roofs and walls at Bedell’s residence.

Another statue resembling St. Francis also remained intact. More items at Bedell’s home that survived the sharp winds were landscape paintings, more than 40 years old, that depict a lush mountain and a small creek winding through a forest.

Bedell said most of her furniture – dressers, beds, couches, TVs – was destroyed during the tornado. Her bookcase featuring more than 250 books about forensic science, forensic medicine, psychology and thrillers, along with more than 35 jigsaw puzzles, was also destroyed.

“I love to read,” Bedell said.

Bedell’s kitchen table and end table were not damaged, she said. Bedell was in the process of filling out FEMA forms for federal assistance for hurricane relief. 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. 

Staying positive

Bedell’s smile, as bright as the sun, shone on Sunday while talking about the tornado damage at her small home. Her spirit was not wavered, and her joy was not diminished.

Bedell said she plans to have a grand opening when her home is rebuilt.

“I have to stay positive,” Bedell said. “I can’t let myself get into a negative funk or I’ll never get anything done.”

Photos by Nick Samuel