St. Lucie County sheriff has confirmed how the Spanish Lakes Country Club, Fort Pierce, Florida, faced nature's wrath. Multiple fatalities around the area caused by devastating tornadoes have been reported. The weather outbreak began on Wednesday as about a dozen tornadoes touched down in the county.
For the unversed, Spanish Lakes Country Club is a senior community in Fort Pierce. About 116 tornado warnings were issued across South Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton and several arrangements were made beforehand around the state.
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Per WPTV, Sherrif Keith Pearson confirmed multiple fatalities following the tornado outbreak. However, how many people lost their lives or got injured is still unclear. Pearson said, "They are listening for life," as a rescue operation is underway in which they are checking every house in the neighborhood.
"This is a weather event like none other," added Pearson.
The St. Lucie County sheriff further confirmed that "well over 100 homes" have been lost in the county amid the severe weather conditions. The state has officially sent about 100 members to assist the agencies in the search and rescue operations. The agencies that are working in the community following the devastating incident also include the Florida Fish and Wildfire Conservation Commission.
"Our number one goal is life safety." The Sheriff added, "We want to get to anybody who might be trapped underneath the rubble or trapped in these situations and get them out safely."
How many homes have been damaged in St. Lucie County after multiple tornadoes?
So far, "dozens of homes" in St. Lucie County have been damaged, per the county spokesman Erick Gill. Gill called the damages "catastrophic" and added,
"We are working with the St. Lucie County Fire District, the National Guard, as well as units from the sheriff's office and even first responders from surrounding counties to help with search and rescue."
Additionally, the agencies have opened up three shelters and are also looking forward to converting a school into a fourth one.
"We have three shelters that were already open, but we're looking at converting another school to a fourth shelter to take care of those who may have been displaced by the tornadoes that ripped through our area this afternoon."
Ahead of Hurricane Milton that hit Florida, US President Joe Biden ordered federal assistance to respond to the emergency conditions in the State of Florida.
He penned, "I just approved an emergency declaration from the State of Florida and ordered federal assistance to supplement response efforts that may arise due to emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Milton. We expect this storm to again make landfall in western Florida and are working quickly to preposition federal response personnel and assets."
In another tweet, Biden also urged people to listen to the local officials and follow all safety guidelines.
More details about the conditions of people in St. Lucie County are awaited.
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