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Several people were killed in the tornado outbreak caused by Milton in Florida as frightening footage emerged

Several people were killed in the tornado outbreak caused by Milton in Florida as frightening footage emerged

Authorities said several people died Wednesday after more than a dozen powerful tornadoes linked to Hurricane Milton struck parts of Florida.

Milton proved fatal before it made landfall Wednesday evening as tornadoes within the storm's outer bands hit a senior community in St. Lucie County.

“Multiple fatalities” were reported at the Spanish Lakes Country Club in Fort Pierce, Sheriff Keith Pearson said.

A tornado was spotted in Broward County, Florida on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton approached the Sunshine State. FloridaDOT/MEGA

It is unclear how many were killed and how many may have been injured.

Pearson told WPTV that deputies are going door-to-door “listening for life” during the multi-agency rescue operation.

“Our primary goal is life safety,” he added. “We want to reach anyone who may be trapped under the rubble or in these situations and get them out safely.”

Pearson told Fox Weather that 17 tornadoes hit the county, destroying hundreds of homes.

Earlier in the day, he posted a video on the sheriff's department's Facebook page that showed a sheriff's department steel storage building being toppled by a tornado as he pleaded with residents to stay inside.


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“Completely disappeared within seconds,” he said.

No officers were injured in the collapse of the 10,000-square-foot building.

A tornado was also spotted an hour south in Palm Beach County, tearing down power lines, according to footage posted on social media.

A tornado forms in Broward County, Florida on Wednesday. FloridaDOT/MEGA
Formation of a tornado touching down near Port Mayaca, Florida on October 9, 2024. Crystal Vander Weit/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In what seemed like a scene from a movie, cars fled the twister while a light – possibly a burnt out transformer – flashed in the background in the village of Wellington.

First responders took five people to hospitals, including three to trauma centers in the county, while responding to multiple reports of tornadoes in the area, the Palm Beach Post reported.


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People were reportedly trapped under debris or in overturned cars due to the strong gusts, the Palm Beach County Fire Department said.

A resident told the newspaper that a tornado ripped out six windows, damaged her roof and toppled palm trees in her neighborhood.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Marie Cook.

Drone footage of a home destroyed by a tornado as Hurricane Milton approaches Fort Myers, Florida on October 9, 2024. REUTERS
A home damaged by a tornado on October 9, 2024 in Fort Myers, Florida. AFP via Getty Images

Hurricane Milton, at one point a Category 5 storm over the ocean, hit Florida's west coast Wednesday evening.

The storm, which weakened to a category storm after landfall, brought winds of more than 100 miles per hour, heavy rain and life-threatening storm surges, leaving about 2 million customers without power.

In the days leading up to Milton, officials warned residents to evacuate or risk death if they tried to ride out the storm.

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