Report: Multiple deaths confirmed in Fort Pierce tornado outbreak caused by Milton
Hurricane spawns several tornadoes across Florida
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Ron Rook, who said he was looking for people in need of help or debris to clear, walks through windy and rainy conditions on a deserted street in downtown Tampa, Fla., during the approach of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken at 11:46 a.m. EDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Milton in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (NOAA via AP)People board up a convenience store ahead of Hurricane Milton, Oct. 9, 2024, in Brandon, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)A car drives past a pile of debris from Hurricane Helene flooding, along a street that had already begun flooding from rain ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in Gulfport, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)A jogger trots as rain falls ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)Youths duck behind the Malecon seawall as they play in the surf brought by Hurricane Milton passing through the Gulf of Mexico, in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
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Ron Rook, who said he was looking for people in need of help or debris to clear, walks through windy and rainy conditions on a deserted street in downtown Tampa, Fla., during the approach of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
FORT PIERCE, Fla. – Multiple people were killed Wednesday afternoon in Fort Pierce when as many as 12 tornadoes ripped through the area, according to CBS12.com.
The tornado outbreak occurred hours before Hurricane Milton made landfall in Siesta Key, about 150 miles away on the opposite side of the state.
St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson said the deaths occurred at Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, a 55+ community. Peason did not provide the specific number of victims.
According to CBS12.com, Pearson said six to 12 confirmed high-strength tornadoes tore through the area in a 20-minute span.
Commercial businesses were also destroyed, according to the report.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida National Guard were called to the area.
