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Hurricane Milton's tornadoes kill some and damage homes. Spanish Lakes Fort Pierce

Posted on by Vanessa
Hurricane Milton's tornadoes kill some and damage homes. Spanish Lakes Fort Pierce

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ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Four people died in suspected tornadoes Wednesday that ripped through Spanish Lakes County Club Village and other areas near Lakewood Park in north Fort Pierce, officials announced Thursday morning.

The St. Lucie County Coroner confirmed the deaths, according to a news release from St. Lucie County Thursday morning. No further details were disclosed.

As St. Lucie County residents wake up Thursday to power outages, building damage, downed lines, debris and flooding, officials will investigate everything when it is safe to do so.

One of the worst affected areas in the county so far has been Spanish Lakes Country Club Village.

A suspected tornado damaged dozens of homes in Indian River Estates and Lakewood Park Wednesday afternoon, officials said. Sheriff Keith Pearson reported “multiple fatalities,” but no further details were available.

First responders conducted search and rescue operations Wednesday amid strong winds.

Doug Anderson, a Lakewood Park resident who works for R & S Metalworks & Co., saw a tornado cross Kings Highway about 5 p.m. Wednesday as he walked home from an errand.

“I saw a semi-truck thrown sideways and a truck thrown sideways,” Anderson said. “I followed the rubble all the way to Spanish Lakes.”

The scene there was shocking.

“It looked like someone had dropped a weight from the sky and leveled a row of houses,” he said.

Anderson said he had never done any Good Samaritan work before, but he felt he had to help if he could.

“I’ve never been in this position before,” he said. “But I saw how the situation developed. I can’t stand to see people in distress.”

Sheriff's deputies on scene enabled Anderson to assist in transferring those injured by suspected tornadoes to a makeshift medical triage center at the Spanish Lakes clubhouse.

Anderson said he spent about five hours at the scene before he was told to go home. During this time, he witnessed numerous people being injured, including a woman he was transporting who had a broken leg and two broken wrists.

“There’s still blood on the side of my truck,” Anderson said.

The property damage was also enormous, he said.

“One of the last houses I visited looked like it had been torn in half,” he said. “People stood outside and cried.”

Anderson said it was difficult to control his emotions while working.

“It was very heartbreaking to watch,” he said. “It’s very hard to keep your composure when you see someone so helpless.”

Anderson praised the sheriff's office and the other first responders who worked on the scene.

This story will be updated.

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