A recent storm survey conducted in St. Lucie County has revealed the destructive impact of an EF3 tornado, as confirmed by the National Weather Service. The affected area includes the Spanish Lakes subdivision, where the tornado claimed the lives of at least five individuals, as reported by St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson.
The survey findings indicated EF3 damage, suggesting wind speeds of up to 140-150 mph. Particularly severe damage was observed near the intersection of Orange Avenue and S. Rock Road, where several large warehouses were severely damaged and destroyed. In the Spanish Lakes subdivision, numerous manufactured homes were obliterated as they were either flipped or tossed, indicative of high-end EF2 damage ranging from 125-135 mph.
It is important to note that these results are preliminary, and further damage assessments are scheduled to continue over the weekend. The weather service office in Melbourne, Florida, stated that based on the initial evaluation, a long-tracked tornado caused a significant swath of EF2 damage with intermittent instances of EF3 damage.
The estimated track of the tornado spans at least 12 miles, although the weather service suspects that its path may extend beyond the initial survey boundaries. Additional survey work is planned for the weekend to ascertain the full extent of the tornado's trajectory.
This marks the second EF3 tornado confirmed in Florida resulting from Hurricane Milton, underscoring the destructive power of severe weather events and the importance of preparedness and response measures in safeguarding communities against such natural disasters.
