Deaths reported in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village and many homes damaged

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Deaths reported in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village and many homes damaged

Suspected tornadoes Wednesday afternoon damaged “dozens” of homes in Indian River Estates and Lakewood Park, forcing evacuation efforts ahead of Hurricane Milton’s tropical force winds. There were also an unconfirmed number of fatalities associated with the storm in Lakewood Park, law enforcement officials said.

St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPBF-TV there were deaths in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, although he wasn’t sure how many.

“We are going through the rubble,” Pearson said. ” … It’s devastating. There are no words to describe it.”

Erick Gill, a spokesman for St. Lucie County government, said search-and-rescue teams were trying to reach the people displaced by the afternoon storms and get them to temporary shelter before heavy winds associated with Hurricane Milton arrive on the Treasure Coast.

Personnel involved in the rescue effort included first responders from St. Lucie and neighboring counties, as well as the Florida National Guard.

Gill said they were racing to stay ahead of the weather.

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and is expected to cross the state exiting in Cocoa Beach by 10 a.m. Thursday as a Category 1.

“We know it’s dozens of homes,” Gill said. “Our goal is to go in there and get those people out before the tropical force winds hit our area.”

Gill said the rescue efforts would continue as long as the weather permitted it.

He said efforts were complicated by residents coming outside their homes to inspect damage. He urged everyone to stay inside their homes until the hurricane passes out to sea.

“At some point, crews won’t be able to get out there because of the winds,” Gill said.

No estimates on property damage were available.

Follow TCPalm’s live blog about the storm Wednesday.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers:

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