F2 tornado, F1 tornado both confirmed in Martin County from Hurricane Milton (2024)

Martin County was hit by two tornadoes spun off from Hurricane Milton — an EF1 tornado in Port Salerno and an EF2 tornado in Hobe Sound and Port Salerno, confirmed the National Weather Service.

Officials from the National Weather Service in Melbourne have been assessing damage daily across the Treasure Coast from tornadoes embedded in Hurricane Milton’s outer bands of rain, according to preliminary reports. They found the two Martin County tornadoes resulted in at least two people being injured.

An EF3 tornado was confirmed Friday in northern St. Lucie County and southeast Indian River County, but it was rated an EF2 tornado when it killed at least six people in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, north of Fort Pierce.

Will Ulrich, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Melbourne, told TCPalm it was the first of many tornadoes the office expected to confirm across the area.

“This was a historic tornado outbreak in the Treasure Coast community,” Ulrich said.

Hurricane Milton:Deadly tornado path grows from Fort Pierce to Vero Beach

EF 1 tornado in Port Salerno

The first tornado surveyed Saturday in the Stuart area was confirmed at EF1 strength, with an estimated peak wind of 95 mph, according to reports. Its path was 3 miles long, and its maximum width was 250 yards, or 2½ football fields. It started at 4:03 p.m. Wednesday and ended at 4:12 p.m.

The tornado touched down just south of U.S. 1, where a camper home was tossed and a person inside was injured.

It then moved across Southeast Federal Highway, where it hit parts of the Colonial Heights subdivision in Port Salerno. Several mobile homes experienced significant damage to roofs and carports. A few experienced major damage when they were moved off their foundations.

A continuous damage path was noted north into the New Monrovia subdivision in Port Salerno, where many homes had moderate to major damage, and several manufactured homes had complete roof loss. Murray Middle School also had roof and vegetative damage.

Damage continued northward into Rocky Point, a large subdivision along the St. Lucie River. Several homes in the western half of the community had minor to moderate damage to roofs, soffits and carports. One home on Southeast Dennis Way had total roof loss.

The tornado then moved into the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon, where it became a waterspout. Video from a resident along the waterway indicated the waterspout dissipated before it approached the Jensen Beach Causeway.

EF2 tornado in Hobe Sound, Port Salerno

The second tornado surveyed Saturday in the Stuart area was confirmed at EF2 strength, with an estimated peak wind of 120 mph, according to reports. Its path was at least 5.7 miles long, and its maximum width was 400 yards, or four football fields. It started at 5:35 p.m. Wednesday and ended at 5:46 p.m.

The tornado touched down in a wooded rural area in between Interstate 95 and U.S. 1, but radar indicated it may have touched down farther to the south, near the Palm Beach County line. The track was expected to be updated as more damage was surveyed.

The damage began in the Lost Lake Golf Club subdivision in Hobe Sound before the tornado moved north into The Preserve of Hobe Sound, where vegetative damage was extensive and many concrete block homes experienced significant tile loss.

The tornado moved north into the Mariner Sands Country Club community, between Hobe Sound and Port Salerno, where some of the most significant damage along its path occurred. Several wood-frame homes experienced total roof loss and partial wall collapse because of winds estimated at 110-120 mph.

One resident who was trapped under his fallen roof was rescued and transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.

The strong tornado then intersected the Manatee Creek subdivision in Port Salerno, where nearly 30 wood-frame homes experienced major damage in the form of roof loss and/or wall collapse from winds up to 120 mph.

The tornado persisted into the Rocky Point area of Port Salerno, where the eastern side of the subdivision experienced more sporadic damage to roofs, soffit damage and downed trees and power lines.

Based on radar data, the tornado likely became a waterspout as it moved into the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon, where it soon dissipated.

EF Scale for tornadoes

The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories, according to the National Weather Service.

  • EF0:65 to 85 mph
  • EF1:86 to 110 mph
  • EF2:111 to 135 mph
  • EF3:136 to 165 mph
  • EF4:166 to 200 mph
  • EF5:More than 200 mph

Laurie K. Blandfordis TCPalm'sentertainmentreporterdedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her atlaurie.blandford@tcpalm.com.

F2 tornado, F1 tornado both confirmed in Martin County from Hurricane Milton (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Jerrold Considine

Last Updated:

Views: 5664

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (58 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Jerrold Considine

Birthday: 1993-11-03

Address: Suite 447 3463 Marybelle Circles, New Marlin, AL 20765

Phone: +5816749283868

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Air sports, Sand art, Electronics, LARPing, Baseball, Book restoration, Puzzles

Introduction: My name is Jerrold Considine, I am a combative, cheerful, encouraging, happy, enthusiastic, funny, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.