Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More LOUIS—County Executive Sam Page said he was legally obligated to veto a bill on his desk that would fund farmers to address food insecurity which is when people do not have enough to eat and are unaware where their next meal will come from “The County cannot send general funds to a private individual or private entity without a competitive process that’s a restriction of the charter,” said Page during a press conference on Tuesday it noted this restriction comes from Chapter 107 he noted that using public funds for a private purpose is prohibited under the Missouri Constitution The County Council approved more than $3 million for Rustic Roots Sanctuary Nearly 90% of the farm's crops were intended to go to community members at no charge.  Missouri Hungry Atlas and Feeding America said over 20% of children in north Saint Louis County face food insecurity They also said it's because the northern part of the county has large numbers of homes below the poverty line transportation barriers and health disparities Councilwoman Shalonda Webb sponsored the bill “Today's veto represents more than just a political decision—it is a public acknowledgment that St Louis County’s leadership is accepting failure,” said Webb there has been a coordinated effort to undermine this legislation but because it challenged a broken system that has left our communities struggling.” Page agreed with the council that food insecurity needs to be addressed and provided his idea for a potential solution He suggested the Department of Human Services start Requests for Proposal (RFP) The RFP approach would use $4.5 million to address food insecurity in underserved areas of the county and align with the Saint Louis County STLCO 20250 Comprehensive Plan “The 2050 Comprehensive Plan recommends eliminating food deserts by working with property owners to implement community gardens food forests and farmers markets on vacant parcels in neighborhoods that lack access to healthy food opportunities,” stated Page in a press release Suggested activities to provide direct food assistance to homes included meal delivery nutrition programs and supporting food banks The proposed RFP solicitation program would prioritize higher-impact activities that focus on the scale of production of healthy food or the availability of food proposals to the RFP solicitation program would need to show they can sustain their programming after the program’s funds run out Saint Louis County says that addressing food insecurity is important because children can’t learn when they’re hungry seniors kip meals to afford medication and parents make impossible choices when facing food costs versus bills Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter E-edition PLUS unlimited articles & videos Personalized news alerts with our mobile app *Refers to the latest 2 years of stltoday.com stories Please subscribe to continue reading… organic produce for weekly farmers markets and deliveries to dozens of area seniors “It’s better than you can buy at Whole Foods,” founder Janett Lewis said Louis County Council is working to send $3.2 million directly to an urban farm part of an ambitious plan to tackle food insecurity in North County a 7-acre farm in the middle of this area’s small ranch homes says the money will help her and five other farms expand their capacity for serving people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to fresh “When we invest in local farms and food hubs we’re not just supporting farmers,” Lewis said at a council meeting last month nutritious food reaches the tables of the families who need it the most.” But uncertainties surround the council’s plan: There has been no competitive bid for the service The council has not set requirements for spending the money And Rustic Roots has been at odds with county rules in the past said the money will go to the farm in the form of a grant has a proven track record of providing fresh fruits and vegetables to the community “They have the credentials and the credibility and have been successful,” Webb said But the farm did share its vision in a social media post last month Rustic Roots will create an “agri-village” for educational residencies for farmers And the post says the organization bought a commercial property on the corner of Trampe Avenue and Larimore Road where it will open a natural food store The property “is going to require a complete rehab,” the Facebook post dated March 16 said Webb’s bill requires a contract between Rustic Roots and the county and Webb said it would include details “on how to award the money.” The legislation calls for the contract to be signed within 60 days and for the county Department of Human Services to oversee it It also requires Rustic Roots to report annually to the council no one else is stepping up to provide fresh produce to people in North County “I don’t want the county to slow walk or drag this out,” Webb said The bill is up for a final vote at Tuesday night’s council meeting In 2021, the federal government granted the county $193 million in American Recovery Plan Act money The county used $143.5 million for COVID-19 vaccinations boosting pay for emergency workers and other expenses Some of that money also went to a handful of nonprofits which got $250,000 for salaries and a food insecurity project Two other North County community development nonprofits — A Red Circle and Refuge and Restoration — also got money for food insecurity The council wanted to spend the last $50 million on six projects: stormwater infrastructure the Police Athletic League — and more to address food insecurity But the council and Page couldn’t come to terms on the six And with a federal spending deadline fast approaching the council moved the money to the general fund to avoid losing it Webb introduced a bill to send some of that money to Rustic Roots The federal projects came with stringent reporting requirements said the county’s chief administrative officer who oversees pandemic relief spending for County Executive Sam Page The county has kept every receipt and documented every expense in case the feds come for an audit But when the council moved the last $50 million to the general fund the federal reporting requirements dropped off those projects Klemp said some of that money will directly pay for projects: The county will bid out the stormwater work and the property demolition But a bill that sends money directly to an organization “We don’t want to write a blank check to someone and trust they’ll use the funds with a pinky promise that this is how they’re going to spend them,” Klemp said Webb argues the grant for Rustic Roots is much like the grants for the university and for childhood education programs But the university isn’t providing a service to the county so it’s not subject to competitive bidding rules “If a service is being provided for the county it must be offered competitively,” he said Lewis founded Rustic Roots Sanctuary as a nonprofit in 2020 to provide fresh produce to the Spanish Lake area, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture considers a food desert — a large number of residents have lower incomes don’t have cars and aren’t near a grocery store The farm provides food delivery to seniors and tours for local schoolchildren herbal wellness workshops and sound bath meditation in a yurt Paying farmers directly is a new idea for addressing a frustrating issue There’s a Schnucks and an Aldi near Spanish Lake but several Shop ‘n Save stores have closed in the area Too many residents have to drive miles to grocery stores or are stuck with the corner shops and liquor stores in the area a Democrat from the Old Jamestown area of North County And she hasn’t been able to convince new grocery stores to open in her district There are a handful of them in North County — an urban area nonetheless dotted with stretches of forest and field But Rustic Roots hasn’t always followed county rules the health department stopped Lewis from running her Spanish Lake Farmers Market at the farm Lewis said on social media that she suspected the county was retaliating against her for criticizing Page publicly over his handling of pandemic relief money But county officials said it wasn’t that at all Farmers markets weren’t allowed under the property’s zoning according to county planning director Jacob Trimble some structures on the farm — including at least one she advertised as a short-term rental — weren’t permitted under county occupancy rules She needed to bring the property into compliance in order to host events and grow food Lewis hired a design professional to address the permitting and zoning issues and stopped using the structures back in the fall The county granted her a temporary use permit in November so she could keep a community garden and host events and she is working on bringing the structures into compliance “Rustic Roots did act in good faith to stop the use of those structures until she has completed occupancy,” Trimble said Webb introduced a new version of her food insecurity bill at the County Council The bill sends the $3.2 million to Rustic Roots and tasks the county’s human services department with overseeing the project It does not give many further instructions Rustic Roots and four others — Odds & Ends Farm Heru Urban Farming and Coahoma Orchards — to share the cash Campbell sells unpasteurized goats milk from her farm She wants to add a Grade A dairy facility that meets state regulations for sanitary practices with raw milk Campbell also wants to produce cheese there to sell to the community she sells her raw goats milk for $15 a gallon but she plans to donate 40% of her milk free for three years with the county funding “It’s going to open North County to a lot of opportunities,” Campbell said Louis County council members took turns welcoming newcomers and sharing what they hope for 2025 Councilwoman Lisa Clancy says she looks forward to "spirited disagreements," while Councilwoman Shalonda Webb says her vision for 2025 is for the council to work together Email notifications are only sent once a day Louis County Police Athletic League could get $250,000 The concerns center around Rustic Roots Sanctuary and its founder who is set to receive the largest amount of money The $3.2 million would have gone to five urban farmers to expand operations and fill fresh food shortages The county executive said it needed… A $3.2 million plan to help farmers produce fresh food in north St Louis County drew questions about connections Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device The three men and three women who died Wednesday, Oct 9 at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village are: Mary Vilamantez Alejandro Alonso Deborah Kennedy “It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you of the tragic passing of the following St Lucie County residents who lost their lives as a direct result of the tornado that touched down in Spanish Lakes,” Sheriff Keith Pearson said in a statement released Monday express our heartfelt condolences to their family and friends during this extremely difficult time.” Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night near Siesta Key with 120 mph winds on the Gulf Coast and spun off a line of dangerous tornadoes across Martin Lucie and Indian River counties before exiting on Florida's East Coast That tornado was described as “an unusually strong long-tracked tornado” with widespread EF1 to EF2 damage and periodic EF3 damage It was rated an EF2 tornado when it first hit Spanish Lakes Country Club Village Many mobile and manufactured homes were destroyed along the western edge of the community where the tornado produced high-end EF2 winds between 125 mph and 135 mph An initial survey showed more than 20 homes were tossed the tornado damaged structures in the Creekside subdivision on Okeechobee Road Many mobile and manufactured homes within the nearby Sunnier Palms Nudist Park and Campground had major damage or were destroyed Tornado victim remembered: Daughter trying to bring her mom home to New York 'It doesn't feel real': Grandson remembers Alejandro Alonso, dead after tornado Lucie County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation into the deaths of six people at the Spanish Lakes subdivision in St Lucie County where a tornado touched down Wednesday Sheriff Keith Pearson says deputies are still going building to building including several that were toppled by the strong winds Sheriff Pearson released the names of the six Spanish Lakes victims: William CutlipMary Grace ViramontezAlejandro AlonsoRoger AmmonSandra MacDonaldDebra Kennedy "It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you of the tragic passing of the following St Lucie County residents who lost their lives as a direct result of the tornado that touched down in Spanish Lakes," Pearson said in a statement express our heartfelt condolences to their family and friends during this extremely difficult time." The sheriff says his team removed 25 individuals from the neighborhood of largely older WPTV Reporter Dave Bohman was at the news conference and asked the sheriff if crews are still looking for survivors and even Thursday was a search and rescue mission Is it fair to call it a search and recovery?” asked Bohman “I’m going to stay optimistic all the way through but we know the reality of it is a lot of elderly people have medical conditions,” responded Sheriff Pearson Sheriff Pearson said one of the challenges of the operation at Spanish Lakes is that his teams can’t get an accurate accounting of those who might be missing The sheriff says many park residents are snowbirds and others may be renters and his teams cannot tell if the seasonal residents are in this area or still up north LUCIE COUNTY — House after house after house lay severely damaged Generators hummed as mounds of crumpled aluminum vegetative debris and broken pieces of houses crowded the streets Workers using heavy equipment moved some of the wreckage Six people died Tornado path: See the path of Hurricane Milton's EF3 tornado in St. Lucie County, Spanish Lakes “Nothing's going to make a big difference until FEMA can help some of these folks,” said Ed Glaser who gave TCPalm an exclusive escort to his home in the northern portion of the 330-acre community only residents and their guests continued to be allowed into the battered subdivision 'Count myself lucky' as 100 other homes were destroyed a roughly four-decade law enforcement veteran including 30 years with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office “Definitely is fixable compared to other places.” noting National Guard officials were at the clubhouse Asked beginning Thursday for the names of the six deceased Lucie County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday stated via e-mail “The Sheriff’s Office is unable to provide this information at this time.” The agency’s records department said no records were available and to submit another request in seven to 10 days Glaser pointed out a photo of a man he didn’t know and a brooch that wound up in his yard “You got other folks’ lives all intermingled He said Worley found a dog collar but no dog “We don't know if the dog was attached to it,” Glaser said that's the way to go except wait until you see some of these concrete houses,” he said It appeared much of the damage was near the northern and western portions of the Spanish Lakes community Many homes near the entrance toward the south appeared unscathed who said he was at his home when the tornado passed said he’s been through many hurricanes over the years Milton came across Florida from west to east “Based on information that we were getting the hurricane was dissipating or not going to be as bad,” he said but they were to the south in Martin County or Port St who said Worley was at his brother’s home in Vero Beach retreated into the house to find a place to hide Worley said she was on the phone with Glaser and he abruptly said he had to go and we didn't know what happened,” Worley said “We didn't know there was a tornado coming She said her children in New York and Virginia were tracking tornadoes and texting her “There's one near your house,” Worley said “They're touching down all around your house.” Glaser said he stayed through the tornado until it was safe to go outside checked on some neighbors and left the community around 8 p.m there's not going to be anything left of my house The Multi-Resource Agency Center opened Saturday at the Havert L Lucie County residents who experienced losses from Milton including the state Department of Health and state Emergency Response Team Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com Residents in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in Lakewood Park who evacuated are beginning to return to their homes after Hurricane Milton caused suspected tornadoes in the area Officials said six people died after a tornado hit the neighborhood St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson said Thursday the search-and-rescue efforts were still underway hundreds of search-and-rescue teams going through rubble,” Pearson said People who live in the area are taking to social media to share the destruction in the neighborhood Hurricane Milton: Most stores, businesses, governments are back open on Friday Hurricane Milton: St. Lucie County will update on storm, tornadoes at 12:30 p.m. Friday Several residents in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village shared images on Facebook of the damage and destruction to homes In addition to the destruction at Spanish Lakes Country Club Village a tornado from Hurricane Milton caused damage to other parts of Lakewood Park ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — According to the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Melbourne office, the tornado responsible for six deaths in the Spanish Lakes community spanned two counties and lasted 32 minutes The NWS preliminary report finds the tornado first touched down near the St Lucie County Sheriff’s office where it badly damaged a garage-like structure that houses several emergency vehicles When the tornado ripped through Spanish Lakes the NWS estimates the tornado reached an EF2 stage producing winds of 125-135 mph "over 20 homes were tossed (some flipped) from their foundation." “Despite the extensive damage to the communities' manufactured homes nearly all concrete block structures in the community experienced relatively minor or moderate damage.” The NWS says the tornado intensified to an EF-3 when it reached northern St Lucie County where it damaged two large warehouses along Orange Avenue Then the Weather Service states the tornado crossed into Indian River County with the winds diminishing to 115-125 miles per house and did significant damage on Vero Beach's barrier island The tornado then headed to the Atlantic Ocean Two of the tornadoes tracked by the National Weather Service are in Martin County One that reached EF2 status had a trail of almost 6 miles then moved north to the Mariner Sands community where "several wood-framed homes experienced total roof loss and partial wall collapse due to estimated winds of 110 to 120 mph One resident who was trapped under his fallen roof was extracted and transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries." The second tornado the NWS says happened in Martin County and touched down near Stuart "just south of US Highway 1 where a camper home was tossed and its occupant injured." The Weather Service also reports that the tornado reached the Colonial Heights subdivision where "several mobile homes experienced significant damage to roofs and carports A few experienced major damages when they were moved off their foundation." On that path, the NWS writes the tornado damaged the roof of Murray Middle School and then later damaged homes in the Rocky Point neighborhood The National Weather Service found the system moved into the St Lucie River and Intracoastal waterway where it became a waterspout and later dissipated one of the first reported tornadoes in Okeechobee County lasted eight miles and was categorized as an EF1 The NWS says it touched down on US Highway 98 near the Okeechobee County Airport "where a manufactured home was lifted from its foundation and thrown northward nearly 200 yards while being completely destroyed The report finds the tornado continued damage to buildings and equipment in rural areas and then the winds struck Dixie Ranch Acres where several homes had their roofs damaged the tornado moved into open pasture for its last 4 miles The National Weather Service notes that all these reports are preliminary and subject to change Louis County farmers are close to seeing $3.2 million in county funding that would help build out urban farms and put more fresh fruits vegetables and other produce on thousands of tables in their communities County Bill 54 It would provide funding to Rustic Roots Sanctuary in Spanish Lake to help support programs and services that could enhance north county’s local food systems and provide long-term solutions to food insecurity in the area “We're breathing life back into this community,” Webb said “Being able to let people use their hands to grow good food and to sustain a good life means so much to people.” Trying to lure big grocery store chains to north St. Louis County has been a longstanding effort for Webb. After Shop ‘n Save left the Spanish Lake area in 2019 Webb said it created a fresh grocery desert she started meeting with other supermarket chains like Dierbergs She heard from some executives that the old grocery store space was too small a new store in the area was not in their five-year plan and the community needed to densify before a large chain would open Webb became concerned about the residents' lack of access to healthy food options She spoke with Rustic Roots Sanctuary farm owner Janett Lewis about creating a plan that included local farmers and their crops Lewis and farmers presented a three-point plan to the county council last December The plan noted that many urban farmers in north St Louis County need access to funding to build out their farms and assist with sustainability They also want to teach the next generation of growers through an agri-village with two-year farmer residencies and build a harvest hub to keep commercial equipment and store produce in cold spaces Odds and Ends Farm and Rustic Roots Sanctuary would directly benefit from the proposed legislation North county farmers have been providing food to their communities for years Both Lewis and Webb said local farmers became essential during the pandemic and again with the rising cost of eggs and produce “While I am fighting to get big groceries to come to our community and serve our community a healthy food source for our community,” Webb said The county council initially earmarked $5 million in ARPA funding to assist with food insecurity but did not disburse the funds before its Dec so the council moved the funding to the general revenue fund This plan would help offset some rising food prices build up local food hubs and produce hundreds of thousands of pounds of food for north St they're able to pump more nutrition into the bodies of their communities and that's what we need to do … really make our communities healthy,” Lewis said and dozens of north county residents and some farmers in the St Louis area spoke during public testimony about the benefits of the bill Some residents who have been purchasing items from various area farms said their fresh produce helps manage their health and brings nutritious meals to their tables without making them driving out of their way to a grocery store one Old Jamestown resident said she buys goat milk pork and other organic foods from Willowick Farm in Spanish Lake because preservatives in her food would exacerbate her health conditions Odds and Ends Farm owner Vince Lang said during that meeting that the bill would create visibility for local farmers and ranchers since many people do not know who they are “We may not agree on all the many solutions to the problems that we face but I believe we can agree that it's more practical to produce as much food as we can on available lands within our community than it is to import from across the country or from out of the country especially in a crisis situation,” Lang said it would be one of a kind because the council has never given money to local farmers to help create more farming opportunities and fresh food options for north county residents “We need more local governments and municipalities to back the local farmers because we can build strong food systems The bill is slated for final passage by the county council on Tuesday (CBS12) — Multiple people were killed Wednesday afternoon after as many as a dozen tornadoes ripped through a Fort Pierce community Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed deaths at Spanish Lakes Country Club Village but did not provide a specific number of people that have died Pearson explained that his deputies and state emergency crews will go door-to-door at the community more than 100 people are looking for people who may be trapped "This is like nothing other we've seen," Pearson added as he went on to describe a scene where between six and 12 confirmed high-strength tornadoes tore through the area within a span of 20 minutes The neighborhood where the Sheriff was when he spoke with CBS12 News was filled with modular homes and Pearson said the storms went right through them He said homes and commercial businesses were destroyed "Every possible thing we can do is being done to search the area we're going to work through the storm to get them out," Pearson pledged In addition to support from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Highway Patrol See Also:GALLERY: Chime in and send CBS12 News your storm videos, photos Pearson also described the SLCSO hangar as a total loss after a possible tornado ripped through the building Pearson said the 10,000 square foot facility was destroyed in a matter of seconds by what he called a "devastating tornado." An SLCSO spokesperson explained the steel structure housed their vehicles Pearson estimated it would take millions of dollars to replace the hangar Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day's top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can't miss video 2025) – Real Salt Lake today finalized the signing of Spanish FW Jesus Barea one of four first-round selections in December’s 2025 Major League Soccer SuperDraft Spain was taken 19th overall by RSL out of Missouri State also one of eight overall selections last December “Jesus has demonstrated throughout the preseason his ability to play multiple attacking positions,” said RSL Chief Soccer Officer Kurt Schmid work rate and pressing skills are more advanced than most rookies We look forward to his contributions this season.” Barea recently completed his senior season at Missouri State University earning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors Barea became the second-highest scorer in an MSU single season the fourth-most in all of Division I during the 2024 season left the collegiate game with 34 goals and 19 assists after a second-round exit in the 2024 NCAA tourney “I was really happy and so excited to see my name on there who now awaits conversion of his student visa to a P-1 which will allow him to work in the United States “RSL is a place that I’m looking forward to the squad with a lot of South American guys is going to help me I think that’s what I am looking forward to the most.” Also selected in December’s first round were GK Max Kerkvliet (21st overall out of UConn already signed with RSL) and FW Linekar Rodrigues dos Santos (29th from Marshall FW Sergi Solans (30th from Oregon State) will play another year of college soccer before matriculating professionally RSL’s four first-round selections marked the second-most of the initial round (Colorado five) en route to its eight picks on the day the second-most throughout the entire draft (also Colorado While RSL awaits the opening of international roster spots due to either green card approvals and/or various acquisition mechanisms Barea will be loaned from RSL’s supplemental roster to Real Monarchs of MLS NEXT Pro How Acquired: Selected 19th overall in the first round of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft on Dec 2024; signed MLS contract with Real Salt Lake on Thursday 2025 RSL Full-Season Ticket Packages NOW ON SALE at ***www.RSL.com*** or by calling 844.Real.Tix Residents in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in Lakewood Park are beginning to return to their homes after Hurricane Milton caused suspected tornadoes in the area Officials said six people died after a tornado hit the neighborhood St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson said Thursday the search-and-rescue efforts were still underway Milton: Suspected tornado trashes St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office storage building Gov. DeSantis speaks about Hurricane Milton devastation in Fort Pierce ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — We're learning much more about the first response to the Spanish Lakes community after it was hit by a deadly EF3 tornado earlier this month WPTV reporter Tyler Hatfield spoke to firefighters to hear about what they did on that tragic day and recounted what they saw Six people died when a powerful tornado hit the senior community on Oct Jeremy Rouse to learn about his team's response and how it was the most intense call of his career Rouse said they had about 45 firefighters at the scene after the tornado hit His team saw mobile homes completely destroyed others were tossed around and some were propelled into trees Rouse said they set up a command post immediately inside the Spanish Lakes clubhouse "The hard part that we struggle with sometimes is knowing the loss that people went through," Rouse said You don't have time to even take in what's going on central and southern areas of the neighborhood — coordinating search and rescue efforts medical triage and taking victims to shelters Rouse said they only had three hours to do this until the next rain bands from Hurricane Milton hit the Treasure Coast "You could tell that (the first responders) were tired," Rouse said but at no point was anybody quitting or giving up at all We needed to get out there and get these people to a safe place." One thing he said he will remember is the people he saw "You couldn't feel anything but absolute compassion for them because of what they just went through," Rouse said Some of them just lost everything and you just feel for them and you just want to do everything you can for them We talked to them just as we would our own mothers and fathers because we could see the hurt and we'd sit them down and just offer them whatever we had." Craig Stolzer was dispatched to the hard-hit Creekside and Hidden Pines communities he said he was unsure if they had enough manpower 'Are we going to have enough people?'" Stolzer said He reflected on the pride of his co-workers on that day which he described as "some of the four most intense hours" of his 18-year career "It's horrible to think of the loss that people can go through and I think we did right by the members of our community," Stolzer said Read more of WPTV.com's coverage of Spanish Lakes including the victims who were killed: The St. Louis Zoo WildCare park, which is scheduled to open in 2027, will boost the north St. Louis County economy by $660 million within a decade, according to an economic impact report released Friday Zoo officials bill the Spanish Lake attraction as “a place where endangered and threatened animals can thrive.” “This report makes it clear WildCare Park will help the regional economy thrive too,” said Dwight Scott president and chief executive officer of the St The Zoo Association bought the unincorporated St Louis County property in 2018 for $7.2 million near Ferguson at the junction of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers The town faces a shrinking population with a 21.5% poverty rate The economic impact report estimates WildCare Park It also estimates the zoo will attract 400,000 visitors annually “It was also one of the requests of the community members here in North County ‘We want WildCare Park to be as good as the St but we also want to make our community very proud." The park will allow nearby businesses to profit from visitors, said Rebecca Zoll, president and CEO of North County Inc. “This project is an amazing opportunity for businesses in north St “With around $184 million in off-site guest spending over the next decade transportation and entertainment sectors will all get a significant boost.” guests and operations will generate $49.9 million in state and local tax revenues More than 250 animal residents will roam free in the park while guests experience a guided walking or bus tour “WildCare Park will bring with it a major tourism boost for our region and an economic boost for north St “The zoo is a favorite of locals as well as a national tourist destination and WildCare Park will join the list of must-sees when in the St 9 tornadoes touched down three to six hours before Hurricane Milton even made landfall at 8:30 p.m They ranged from EF0 to EF3 with paths ranging from 3 miles to 31 miles The worst damage was caused by an EF3 tornado with a peak wind gust of 155 mph that touched down at 4:59 p.m and traveled northeast from Fort Pierce to Vero Beach for 21.2 miles in 31 minutes less than a mile east of 11 Mile Road and just west of the Interstate 95 interchange and went out to sea just south of the Tracking Station Beach Park in Indian River County They are listed in the order they touched down in Martin according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne Lucie)Rating: EF0Estimated peak wind: 75-85 mphPath length: 18.1 milesMaximum path width: 200 yardsStart time: 2:05 p.m.End time: 2:40 p.m.St Fort Pierce area)Rating: EF1Estimated peak wind: 80-90 mphPath length: 11.8 milesMaximum path width: 150 yardsStart time: 2:59 p.m.End time: 3:13 p.m.St Lucie County-Indian River County (Fort Pierce Vero Beach)Rating: EF1Estimated peak wind: 90 mphPath length: 6.6 milesMaximum path width: 100 yardsStart time: 3:05 p.m.End time: 3:17 p.m.Indian River County (Vero Beach)Rating: EF1Estimated peak wind: 95 mphPath length: 4.51 milesMaximum path width: 150 yardsStart time: 3:48 p.m.End time: 3:57 p.m.Martin County (Port Salerno near Stuart)Rating: EF1Estimated Peak Wind: 95 mphPath Length: 3 milesMaximum Path Width: 250 yardsStart time: 4:03 p.m.End time: 4:12 p.m.Indian River County (Vero Beach)Rating: EF1Estimated peak wind: 100 mphPath length: 3.44 milesMaximum path width: 100 yardsStart time: 4:09 p.m.End time: 4:16 p.m.St Lucie County (Fort Pierce)Rating: EF1Estimated peak wind: 95 mphPath length: 6.75 milesMaximum path width: 150 yardsStart time: 4:14 p.m.End time: 4:24 p.m.St Lucie County-Indian River County (near Fort Pierce Vero Beach)Rating: EF3Estimated Peak Wind: 155 mphPath Length: 21.2 milesMaximum Path Width: 500 yardsStart time: 4:59 p.m.End time: 5:30 p.m.Martin County-St Fort Pierce)Rating: EF2Estimated peak wind: 125 mphPath length: 31.6 milesMaximum path width: 300 yardsStart time: 5 p.m.End time: 5:50 p.m.Martin County (Jupiter Hobe Sound)Rating: EF0Estimated peak wind: 80 mphPath length: 3.95 milesMaximum path width: 100 yardsStart time: 5:21 p.m.End time: 5:30 p.m.Martin County (Hobe Sound near Stuart)Rating: EF2Estimated Peak Wind: 120 mphPath Length: 5.7 milesMaximum Path Width: 400 yardsStart time: 5:35 p.m.End time: 5:46 p.m.EF Scale for tornadoesThe Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories: Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429, or follow her on X @gonthescene (This story has been updated with additional information.) LUCIE COUNTY — Six people died following suspected tornadoes Wednesday that ripped through Spanish Lakes County Club Village and other areas near Lakewood Park in northern Fort Pierce Ron DeSantis and Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed five fatalities Thursday afternoon The sixth victim was discovered later Thursday As St. Lucie County residents woke up Thursday to power outages, building damage, downed lines, debris and flooding officials were assessing everything when it's safe to do so One of the worst-impacted areas in the county so far was Spanish Lakes Country Club Village The suspected tornado Wednesday afternoon damaged dozens of homes in Indian River Estates and Lakewood Park, officials said. Pearson confirmed the "multiple fatalities First responders were conducting search-and-rescue operations Wednesday ahead of peak winds Church heavily damagedNancy Larson and her grandson decided to take a drive Thursday morning to see how their area made it through Hurricane Milton The Fort Pierce church that she's been attending for more than a year and where grandson was recently was baptized The church is just down the road from Spanish Lakes Country Club Village where five people were killed when a tornado A large section of the sanctuary roof was ripped off several large trees were uprooted and thrown around the property including one that was lodged into the windshield of a Lexus that had been left in the parking lot Pastor Leo Vollbracht was at the church Thursday morning but declined to comment 'Let's go for a ride and see if everything is OK.' I started to ride down the street and I saw this who's been attending the church for three years said the sanctuary roof and other improvements were made in the past six months Multiple people who attended or worked at the church had arrived by mid-morning and were planning to start the cleanup process "The people are so great here," Larson said I finally came home to a church that I loved a Lakewood Park resident who works for R & S Metalworks & Co. saw a tornado crossing Kings Highway as he was heading home from an errand around 5 p.m "I followed the wreckage into Spanish Lakes." "It looked like someone had dropped a weight from the sky and flattened a bunch of houses," he said Anderson said he had never done any kind of good Samaritan work before but felt he needed to help out if he could "I had never been in that position before," he said Sheriff's deputies on scene allowed Anderson to help move people injured by suspected tornadoes to a makeshift medical triage center at the Spanish Lakes clubhouse Anderson said he spent about five hours on the scene before he was told to go home he witnessed numerous people with injuries including a woman he transported who had a broken leg and two broken wrists "There's still blood on the side of my truck," Anderson said "One of the last houses I went to looked like it had been ripped in half," he said Anderson said it was difficult to manage his emotions while he worked "It was very heartbreaking to watch," he said "It's very hard to keep your composure when you see someone so helpless." Anderson gave credit to the Sheriff's Office and the other first responders who were working at the scene who has lived in Holiday Pines for 11 years knew a tornado was coming as soon as he heard what sounded like a freight train coming through the neighborhood late Wednesday afternoon "All of the sudden the power went out and it sounded like a train was coming but I knew it wasn't a train because there are no train tracks," Neiman said Holiday Pines is just down the road from Spanish Lakes Country Club where several people died Wednesday At least one house in Holiday Pines was destroyed while others suffered damage boats and other vehicles were laying on their side or flipped over Parts of the community still was experiencing standing water on Thursday I've been through many hurricanes in my life This is the first one where we've gotten this many tornadoes but not nearly the concentration of tornadoes in this particular area." said he could see the tornado coming."I looked out the door and I could see it coming," Daniels said "It was a real dark cloud the next street down including a mango tree getting split down the middle but he felt fortunate in light of what happened in Spanish Lakes "It could have a been a lot worse," he said owner of Paradise Pines Citgo in Lakewood Park made the decision to close his store approximately 4:30 p.m a tornado ripped through the store and gas station No one one was in the store when the tornado hit a power pole was downed and the metal covering and one of the concrete pillars that one protected Paradise Pines' gas pumps had been thrown dozens of feet away into some nearby trees The propane tank display and water machines that had been in front of the store were mangled and strewn around the property was now in some trees behind Paradise Pines Chowdhury believes it was picked up by the tornado and thrown over the store Chowdhury said he returned to the store shortly after the tornado hit because it was being looted "I came right back and boarded it up because it was empty" he said People did some looting and took money and some other stuff Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Editor's note: See Thursday's live report here Update: 'Multiple fatalities' reported in Spanish Lakes following tornado Hurricane Milton made landfall at 8:30 p.m Wednesday near Siesta Key as a Category 3 storm on Florida's west coast Now Milton will begin passing across the state and exit on Florida's east coast The Treasure Coast will start to feel Milton's effects Wednesday Lucie counties remain under hurricane warnings Martin County remains under a hurricane watch The entire Treasure Coast is under a flood watch Here's the latest information regarding Milton's impacts Wednesday on the Treasure Coast The Treasure Coast should brace Wednesday night and early Thursday morning for tropical-storm or hurricane-force winds as Hurricane Milton Milton was 75 miles southwest of Orlando and 100 miles west southwest of Cape Canaveral The Treasure Coast could expect 40-55 mph winds with gusts of 65-75 overnight Highway 1 in Port Salerno is closed near Cove Road after a suspected tornado caused significant damage to structures light poles and power lines on the highway Martin County Fire Rescue posted on X at 9:33 p.m "It’s estimated that dozens of homes have been damaged there have been no fatalities reported at this time." The suspected tornado happened around 5:40 p.m and Martin County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Rescue vehicles blocked both southbound lanes of U.S 1 starting at the intersection with Southeast Morningside Dr. Hurricane Milton: Multiple suspected tornadoes cause damage in Stuart, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach Forty-two tornado warnings were issued Wednesday by the National Weather Service in Melbourne across its 10-county coverage area which includes the Treasure Coast and as far north as Volusia County and west to Okeechobee More than 7.7 inches of rain fell at the Vero Beach Airport since about 3 a.m. while 6.9 inches was reported in Sebastian and 7.5 inches just north of Vero Beach according to the National Weather Center Melbourne Lucie area received roughly 2.5 to 4 inches of rain in the last 24 hours Lucie County was hit between six and 12 suspected tornadoes Wednesday He estimates hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed in the county Search-and-rescue efforts were still ongoing in Lakewood Park shortly after 10 p.m. There were reports of dozens of homes being damaged along with an unknown number of fatalities in the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village community "We've got all the resources out here," Pearson said "(I'm) not going to confirm the number of fatalities but there's multiple fatalities from this in this specific area and we're going to be out here until we know that we rescued everybody from these homes that have been completely destroyed.” Gill said it was unclear if those rescued from the damaged homes would be placed in the three shelters the county opened in advance of Hurricane Milton's arrival There were still plenty of spots available at all three shelters as of 10 p.m Gill said there were 235 people at Westwood Academy which can accommodate 750 people; 45 people at the Havert L which also can accommodate 750; and 84 people at Treasure Coast High School Gill urged people to stay inside until the hurricane has passed through and avoid calling 911 except in genuine emergencies The Freshman Learning Center in Vero Beach is the only shelter with operating phone lines according to Indian River County Spokeswoman Kathy Copeland "If you call the citizen information line at 772-226-4000 they can relay your message through the Ham radio operators at the EOC," said Copeland Fort Pierce Utilities Authority resumed restoration efforts earlier this evening after a brief suspension due to severe weather conditions in the Fort Pierce Area FPUA crews are working through the night to restore power for thousands of residents Nearly 4,000 residents lost power at the peak of the outages said the outages were caused by “broken poles and damaged equipment from high winds and several tornadoes.” FPUA now reports 387 customers are impacted by 20 separate outage events as of 9:30 p.m Full assessment of the damage and scope of restoration are undetermined at this time Two suspected tornadoes touched down within Vero Beach city limits and Indian River County Sheriff Sgt Kevin Jaworski said there were no reported fatalities as of 8:56 p.m National Guard and other EOC operatives are going house to house checking on the Central Beach neighborhood "Vero Beach Police Department is (the) lead agency with partners from EOC going door to door in Central Beach neighborhood," said Falls An excess of 9 inches of rain fell throughout Vero Beach over the last 24 hours The National Weather Service Melbourne forecast was 2-4 inches The City of Vero Beach has suspended cleanup efforts for the night due to darkness and upcoming winds There is no curfew on Wednesday night in Vero Beach houses have been destroyed and neighborhoods are impassable in Martin County It's "absolutely atrocious," said Martin County Sheriff William Snyder None of the deputies nor Snyder suffered any injuries because of the storm He urged people to stay indoors and off the roads Hurricane Milton roared onshore near Siesta Key at 8:30 p.m as a powerful Category 3 hurricane with estimated wind speeds of 120 mph The storm crashed into the state just south of the Tampa Bay region where Helene made landfall less than two weeks ago as a powerful category 4 hurricane Martin County has issued a curfew beginning Wednesday at 9 p.m “Due to the significant damage caused by multiple tornadoes in Martin County as well as dangerous and deteriorating weather conditions expected throughout the night Sheriff William Snyder is implementing a countywide curfew from 9 PM to 6 AM effective immediately," Sheriff's Office spokesperson Christine Christofek said "If you have a legitimate reason to be out during curfew hours please be prepared to inform deputies of your circumstances.” 7:50 p.m. - Fatalities and tornado damage reported in St. Lucie CountyMultiple fatalities are being reported at Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in Lakewood Park Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPTV assisted by the Florida National Guard and neighboring counties has sent search-and-rescue teams to evacuate people from homes in Indian River Estates and Lakewood Park "We know that 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 rescue workers were scouring the neighborhoods seeking to get those displaced by the first round of severe weather to temporary shelter before conditions worsen again crews won't be able to get out there because of the winds," Gill said surveying and in some cases filming damage caused by the suspected tornadoes Gill urged them to return to shelter before the second wave of the storm arrives Lucie's top emergency management officials was personally affected by the storm's destruction when a suspected tornado took out his home in northwest Fort Pierce Lucie's emergency operations division director was at work when the storm struck his home where seven people and "a couple" of pets were staying "His house is pretty much destroyed," Prohaska said All of the people and pets were evacuated safely Weinshank took a brief timeout from his official duties to help his family members relocate Prohaska didn't have information on how the people staying in the house were related to Weinshank "I know some of them had traveled there from other parts of the state," Prohaska said Thousands of more residents on the Treasure Coast were reported to have lost power at 7:30 p.m Florida Power and Light reported outages for 25,380 customers in Indian River County Lucie County and 19,010 customers in Martin County Fort Pierce Utilities Authority announced on Facebook that “all restoration efforts have been temporarily suspended” due to the increasing threat of tornadoes in the Fort Pierce area FPUA reported outages for 3,894 customers as of 7:30 p.m Hurricane Milton advisory from the city of Port St they advised residents to stay off the roads due to "increasingly hazardous conditions" like: Confirmed tornadoesDown traffic lightsDown treesDown powerlinesWater on the roads7:30 p.m. - Flooding and damage in Indian River CountyStreets and neighborhoods are beginning to see some flooding in Indian River County including at the Vero Beach Regional Airport “We have never seen flooding at the Vero Beach Regional Airport like this before,” according to Vero Beach Regional Airport Director Todd Scher and the newly formed lake extends from the Piper Aircraft Building to 43rd Ave.” downed tree limbs and remnants of sheds litter an alleyway east of 15th Ave Tree trimming crews are making their way down 23rd St cleaning up the debris before Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall A tree is also down in front of First Baptist Church A United States Postal Service mail truck is flipped over off of 13th Avenue and 21st Street in downtown Vero Beach Due to safety concerns related to flooding and downed power lines Barber and 17th Street bridges are temporarily closed First responders are assessing damage and assisting with any necessary evacuations Please avoid the area and allow emergency crews to work.The Wabasso Bridge is currently passable said Indian River County Spokesperson Kathy Copeland A flash flood warning continues for parts of Indian River and St according to the National Weather Service Melbourne in Gifford due to deep water where three cars are stuck 6:35 p.m. - Widespread power outagesSwaths of reported power outages increased across the Treasure Coast at 6:30 p.m Florida Power and Light reported outages for 12,930 customers in Indian River County Lucie County and 4,030 customers in Martin County Fort Pierce Utilities Authority reported outages for 4,020 customers in Fort Pierce has its entrances blocked by falling trees with deputies and fire rescue having to cut through with chainsaws to get in to respond to calls according to Martin County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Christine Weiss told WPTV on a broadcasted phone call Images and videos of suspected tornado damage have been posted to the Martin County Sheriff's Office Facebook page showing damage in Palm City In downtown Jensen Beach Wednesday evening Lures Riverfront Restaurant roars with locals and regulars enjoy the company at the bar ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall Michael Denyea said he expected a big crowd with the hurricane approaching The outside bar was closed due to the weather but we're trying to feed as many people as we can," Denyea said but I don't want to put anybody in jeopardy." 'We take care of our people:' Jensen Beach restaurant serves patrons as Milton nears Florida Tornado warnings were issued for parts of Martin 5:50 p.m. - Caterers serve Port St. Lucie police officersSeven employees at Puff ‘n Stuff a catering company based in Orlando and Tampa Lucie Police Department on Wednesday after 5 p.m “We’re feeding the people that are taking care of us,” said Mika Brutes The Puff ‘n Stuff serving crew said after the meal they would brave the storm — which by then was a tornado warning — and head back home to Winter Park “We’re going to try to drive slow,” Brutes said A flash flood warning for eastern Indian River County and northeastern St Fort Pierce and Hutchinson Island South is in place until 6:00 p.m A tornado warning including Jensen Beach FL Hobe Sound FL and Port Salerno FL is in place until 6:15 PM EDT  5:30 p.m. - Widespread power outages being reported12,160 Florida Power & Light customers in St Lucie County were experiencing outages at 5:30 p.m 4,080 Fort Pierce Utilities Authority customers in Fort Pierce were experiencing outages at 6 p.m. Hurricane Milton: Check power outage trackers for FPL, FPUA and nationwide Two more suspected tornados were reported on the Treasure Coast by the National Weather Service Another large and dangerous suspected tornado was over the Treasure Coast International Airport at 5:09 p.m A tornado warning has been issued for northwestern St A thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Fort Pierce at 5:01 p.m A tornado warning remains in effect until 5:30 p.m for southeastern and central Martin counties 5:05 p.m. - Tornado warning extended for parts of Martin, St. Lucie countiesAnother tornado warning has been issued for central Martin County and southeastern St A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located eight miles southeast of Indiantown at 4:58 p.m A suspected tornado was located on radar 10 miles north of Tradition at 4:44 p.m About 20 homes in the Holiday Pines neighborhood in Lakewood Park sustained damage "We probably won't have damage estimates until well after the storm has passed," Gill said 4:50 p.m. - Precautionary boil water notice issuedThe Port St Lucie Utility Systems Department is issuing a precautionary boil water notice for water customers beginning tonight at 8 p.m "This action is being taken in an abundance of caution to protect the health of our PSLUSD customers," according to 4 p.m "The ground is already soft from recent heavy rains the threat of strong winds and downed trees there is an increased possibility of damage to the system’s water mains customers will be protected in the case of potential water main breaks." Residents are encouraged to fill containers with tap water before 8 p.m to ensure they have safe drinking water to use throughout the storm Customers who plan to use any water for consumption after 8 p.m tonight should boil water for at least two minutes before using Once the storm passes and PSLUSD facilities have been fully reviewed and approved for service the precautionary boil water notice will be lifted 4:40 p.m. - Suspected tornado in Vero BeachA tornado was over Vero Beach Highland at 4:27 p.m It was expected to be around Indian River Shores and Pointe West at 4:40 p.m. A tornado warning is extended for parts of St A tornado warning has been extended until 5 pm In the area between Vero Beach and Sebastian a massive squall powered through for almost an hour A tornado warning has been issued for southwestern St Lucie County and western Martin County until 4:45 p.m. A storm capable of producing a tornado was located over J and S Fish Camp at 4:20 p.m A tree is down on State Road 60 near Vero Beach Police headquarters according to Vero Beach City Manager Monte Falls "Tornado was also spotted at the intersection of Commerce Ave 4:15 p.m. - Damage reported throughout St. Lucie CountyA steel storage building used by the St Lucie County Sheriff's Office was destroyed "in a matter of seconds" as the winds began to pick up Wednesday afternoon In a video posted on the office's Facebook page Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson urged residents to seek shelter indoors while pointing to the destroyed building in the background all of our deputies are safe," Pearson said was used for storing vehicles and other equipment "It was completely gone in a matter of seconds," Pearson said said there have been numerous other reports of damage caused by tornadoes and other high winds throughout the county No injuries had been reported as of 4 p.m. A suspected tornado was reported near the Stuart Port Salerno area along US-1 near Cove Rd. Tornado warnings are extended for parts of Martin and St Tornado warnings for parts of eastern Indian River County are in place until 5 p.m Eastern Indian River County is under a tornado warning until 4:15 p.m. Radar indicated rotation in a thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado the thunderstorm was over Winter Beach moving north at 35 mph Indian River County Sheriff's Office is reporting downed powerlines at the 300 block of 27th Ave 3:45 p.m. - Tornado located in Palm City, 2-4 inches of rain has fallenA tornado was located near Palm City heading north at 35 mph at 3:34 p.m. Fort Pierce and Indian River Estates at about 3:50 p.m South Hutchinson Island is expected to be impacted by the related storm Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to occur shortly Two to four inches of rain has fallen and two to four more are possible low-lying areas and areas with poor drainage All of east-central Florida is under a tornado watch for Wednesday afternoon and evening A tornado watch means weather conditions could lead to the formation of severe storms and tornadoes Be prepared by knowing your safe location and being ready to act quickly if a warning is issued or you suspect a tornado is approaching Flash flood warnings have been issued until 6:30 p.m Lucie and Martin counties and parts of Indian River it is recommended to not drive or walk through flood waters and move to higher ground The National Weather Service Melbourne reports "a very strong" rotation moving into southern Indian River County A tornado warning has been issued for southeastern St Lucie County and central Martin County until 4 p.m A storm capable of producing a tornado was located near Indiantown at 3:21 p.m 3:10 p.m. - What is expected in Indian River, Martin counties from MiltonThe tornado warning in part of Indian River County was extended to 3:45 p.m Sebastian and Vero Beach were also extended until 3:45 p.m briefing at the Martin County Emergency Operations Center officials said they are prepared for whatever comes the county’s way from Hurricane Milton 3 p.m. - Tornado warnings continueA severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was passing through North River Shores at 2:52 p.m The National Weather Service confirmed a large and extremely dangerous tornado located 7 miles northeast of Fort Drum A tornado warning continues for parts of Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie counties until 3:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service Melbourne. A tornado warning for Indian River County continues until 3 p.m Two tornadoes were reported on the ground in the last few minutes prompting tornado warnings on and off throughout the afternoon One was near mile marker 109 on I-95 in Martin County and another northwest of Okeechobee on U.S Tornado warnings for Indian River County and western Martin County Thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes were reported around J&S Fish Camp in Okeechobee and 7 miles south of Blue Cypress Lake A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Palm City a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 9 miles southeast of Indiantown 1:30 p.m. - Extended tornado warnings for St. Lucie, Indian RiverTornado warnings were extended again for St Lucie County and Indian River County and would be in effect until 2 p.m. A storm cell continues to move north along the western edge of the Treasure Coast a confirmed tornado was located near Fort Drum by Florida's Turnpike Tornado warnings issued earlier for Martin Lucie and Indian River counties have been extended to 1:30 p.m. A confirmed tornado touched down at Port Mayaca on the east side of Lake Okeechobee The actual size and tornado rating isn't known until after the area can be assessed Find out more about the updated tornado warnings. Bridges to North and South Hutchinson islands will close at 8 p.m. The only people allowed to cross after 8 p.m will be first responders and residents with emergencies The bridges will remain closed until the winds die down Lucie County has the potential to experience hurricane force winds Tropical storm wind gusts were expected on Wednesday afternoon The potential for tornadoes is high as outer bands reach the area The potential for flooding increases Thursday All schools across the Treasure Coast are closed for the rest of the week Lucie County news conference was moved from 5 p.m Here's everything you need to know from the latest news conference. Lucie County and Indian River County and will stay in effect until 1 p.m. A tornado was spotted moving north near Lake Okeechobee Click here to find out more about the tornado warnings. A tornado warning was issued for Martin County and will stay in effect until 12:30 p.m. a tornado has been spotted or indicated on weather radar meaning a tornado is occurring or expected soon People in the area should take action because there is imminent danger to life and property Seek shelter immediately in the safest location possible were sitting at an outdoor table at Maria’s Café in downtown Stuart because the storm surge was expected to be 10-15 feet They Modrcines came to Stuart after they determined how far they could get round trip on one tank of fuel “There's no gasoline at all in the area that we left,” Gary Modrcin said but they were in the first evacuation zone and were staying at a hotel in downtown Stuart The tide from large ocean swells nearly reached the steps of beachside stairs at Conn Beach Boardwalk in Vero Beach Here's how to watch live beach cameras across the Treasure Coast. Emergency officials across the Treasure Coast plan to give the latest updates about Hurricane Milton at news conferences staggered throughout the afternoon and then Indian River County has a 1:30 p.m Find out more about the Martin County news conference. the Publix locations in Stuart and Palm City closed The Walmart in Stuart also closed and will determine Thursday when it will reopen the Publix location in Sabal Palm Plaza in Fort Pierce closed The eight Walmart and Sam’s Clubs locations across St Keep checking here for the latest on what’s closed. Lucie County Public Safety Director Ron Guerrero said the county hopes to make a decision on when to close the bridges to North and South Hutchinson islands by 1 p.m “Our main concern is the wind,” Guerrero said “We’re under hurricane warning and tropical storm sustained winds will go all the way up to 73 miles per hour 40 miles per hour sustained is a concern to go over that bridge.” Lucie and Martin counties were locked down Tuesday according to the Florida Department of Transportation While drawbridges will be closed to boat traffic Here are details about where the drawbridges are located. More than 80 people already have arrived to St. Lucie County’s three shelters 86 people were staying in shelters at Fort Pierce Westwood Academy Treasure Coast High School and the Havert L The first two shelters are pet friendly and for the general population while the third shelter is for special medical needs Here are more Treasure Coast shelters opening today. At both Lowe’s and Home Depot in Vero Beach a number of people were seen buying or loading plywood into vehicles Wednesday morning Hours of operation at both stores could vary depending on weather conditions but the Home Depot on 58th Avenue was expected to close at 8 p.m while Lowe’s on State Road 60 could close as early as 5 p.m 60 in Vero Beach closed Wednesday because of the approaching storm and its hours Thursday were to be determines according to signs on doors at closed store entrances and exits Multiple vehicles passed slowly through the parking lot with some drivers stopping to see if it was open a long line had formed near store checkout aisles with several shoppers seen throughout the store A pallet with some bottled water remained near the store entrance but stocks on shelves of some items like bread and bottled water appeared to dwindle while other non-perishable food and beverages still were seen on shelves Find out more about how Indian River County is preparing. Army Corps of Engineers isn’t making any releases from Lake Okeechobee before Hurricane Milton’s arrival It’s actively monitoring the lake and the Herbert Hoover Dike which was inspected last week after Hurricane Helene As the lake level rises throughout the storm the frequency of dike inspections increases so any potential issues are detected and addressed quickly all structures on the lake will be closed during the storm to maintain the integrity of the dike A tornado watch was issued for Indian River Treasure Coast officials urged residents to finish their hurricane preparations Wednesday morning and then stay off the roadways one of the heaviest bands of rain approaching the Treasure Coast is projected to hit the area about 1 p.m. “There are going to be on-and-off rounds of rain bands especially throughout the rest of the afternoon,” Sedlock said “That's when you should have your major decisions made about whether to leave or hunker down in place.” Find out more when winds and rain will increase. Here’s where things stand on power heading into the day: 10 outages in Indian River County Lucie County and 2 outages in Martin County No outages were reported in Fort Pierce by FPUA The numbers can be used as a baseline before weather conditions start to change later today ahead of Hurricane Milton Check out power outage trackers for FPL, FPUA and nationwide. As the sun rises across the Treasure Coast There is a high risk of rip currents along all Central Florida beaches on the Atlantic Ocean Residents and visitors are strongly urged to stay out of the surf Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water Check out beach conditions on these live cameras. Walking Tree Brewery in Vero Beach closed its filtered-water station on the brewery’s porch where people could fill their containers ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival Click here to find out what's still open. Martin County Fire Rescue will have its two high-water trucks each staffed with two members of its swift-water team at Station 14 near Stuart Beach and Station 33 in Hobe Sound Station 33 will have its inflatable boat strapped in the high-water vehicle continually monitoring the storm and making sure station supplies are robust and equipment is ready for response Click here for the latest on flooded roads. Lucie police will have additional patrols at gas stations and stores for people still preparing for Hurricane Milton Click here for more information on closings. LUCIE COUNTY — The first tornado confirmed on the Treasure Coast — of what will be many tornadoes here alone from Hurricane Milton — was rated an EF3 tornado with peak winds up to 155 mph The outbreak of tornadoes on Wednesday was unprecedented on the Treasure Coast, said Will Ulrich, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Melbourne It was the largest outbreak of tornadoes his office has worked in its 35 years “This was a historic tornado outbreak in the Treasure Coast community,” Ulrich told TCPalm They surveyed damage and found the tornado stayed on the ground for at least 13 miles hit the new warehouse on Orange Avenue near Rock Road and exited in Indian River County That’s “highly unusual” and “very rare” for a tornado to stay on the ground that long in Florida and from a tropical cyclone event "It was a long-track tornado that had a large swath of EF2 damage as well as periodic EF3 damage," Ulrich said EF2 damage specifically was found in the Spanish Lakes subdivision and EF3 damage to warehouses was found in the area of Orange Avenue and Rock Road According to the Enhanced Fujita Scale EF2 winds are between 110 and 135 mph; EF3 winds are between 136 and 165 mph Ulrich expected to confirm more tornadoes in St plus other tornadoes in Martin and Indian River counties as officials continued to work Saturday and Sunday to assess damage and determine each tornado’s pattern and strength The National Weather Service issued 126 tornado warnings across the state starting Wednesday morning and ending later that evening That's the most ever issued in Florida in a single day The NWS in Melbourne alone issued 42 tornado warnings for its coverage area That's the second-most ever issued by the Melbourne office after Hurricane Irma in 2017 with 51 tornado warnings that storm spawned mostly EF1 tornadoes and a stray EF2 tornado — but no EF3 tornado Officials suspect at least 10 tornadoes touched down and caused damage across the five counties a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInThe St Lucie County sheriff confirmed there are "multiple fatalities" in the county after a tornado outbreak Wednesday Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed multiple people were killed at the Spanish Lakes Country Club a senior community off Spanish Lakes Boulevard near Fort Pierce It's unclear how many people have died or how many others have been hurt Pearson said they are checking every house to help those affected as search and rescue operations are underway "They are listening for life," Pearson said regarding what deputies are doing as they visit homes in the neighborhood "This is a weather event like none other." The sheriff told WPTV anchor Meghan McRoberts that somewhere between "6 and 12" tornadoes touched down in the county including officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission "We want to get to anybody who might be trapped underneath the rubble or trapped in these situations and get them out safely." The sheriff said there were "well over 100 homes" throughout the county that have been lost due to the severe weather outbreak Officials said the state has sent about 100 search and rescue members to the county to assist local agencies as well as units from the sheriff's office and even first responders from surrounding counties to help with search and rescue." Gill said their goal was to get into the communities where multiple tornadoes have touched down to help survivors and do damage assessment "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," Gill said There have been multiple tornadoes across the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County caused by Hurricane Milton as it nears Florida Ron DeSantis said there have been 116 tornado warnings with 19 confirmed touchdowns on Wednesday the director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management said they have multiple task forces headed to the affected areas      Guthrie said about 125 homes were destroyed statewide Milton made landfall in Florida near Siesta Key just after 8:30 p.m. but its wrath has been felt across the Sunshine State much of the day This is a breaking news story and will be updated Saint Lucie County Communications Director Erick Gill confirmed that at least four people were killed in the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in Fort Pierce/Lakewood Park from the tornadoes that ripped through the Treasure Coast yesterday We are awaiting more information from the County As Hurricane Milton makes its way into the Atlantic Lucie County Emergency Management officials strongly encourage residents to stay off the roads and stay inside until it has been deemed safe to do so Unnecessary traffic or bystanders will hinder response and recovery efforts First responders and public works/utility crews are conducting response and recovery efforts caused by two confirmed tornados that touched down prior to the arrival of Hurricane Milton Wednesday Lucie Medical Examiner has confirmed four fatalities as a result of these tornadoes In response to the growing need for shelter Lucie County Public Schools and Florida Department of Health St Lucie County to open an additional shelter at Fort Pierce Central High School for residents displaced by the tornadoes Nurses and crisis counselors are on-site to assist those in need more than 64,000 customers are without power in St Florida Power & Light (FPL) reports 48,870 outages while Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) has 15,567 customers affected Lucie County remains committed to the safety and well-being of its residents during this challenging time ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — Less than 24 hours after a tornado outbreak killed at least six people in St. Lucie County, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis visited the hurricane-ravaged county on Thursday Lucie County Sheriff's Office where he and Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed a fifth death from the storm in the hard-hit Spanish Lakes Country Club fire rescue officials confirmed a sixth death at the same community Pearson said rescue teams were still at the Spanish Lakes community sifting through the debris and found the fifth victim right before the midday news conference Lucie (County) had the most tornado damage of anyone I've seen," DeSantis said WATCH BELOW: DeSantis holds news conference in St The governor did not have any reports of any other fatalities in the state from the hurricane besides St DeSantis said he spoke to President Joe Biden on Thursday morning "(Biden) said he wants to be helpful (and) if we have a request he said send them his way and he wants to help us get the job done," DeSantis said "I appreciate being able to collaborate across the federal state and local governments and work together to put the people first." which caused power outages in multiple counties which was expected," DeSantis said when assessing damage across the state "I'd say this is probably similar to Hurricanes Irma and Ian in terms of the number of outages." He said the storm caused about 4 million customers to lose power but 700,000 of those customers already how their electricity restored as of Thursday afternoon have come to Florida to help restore power He was joined by Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and Maj the senior military adviser to the governor "We got to keep bringing in fuel into this state," DeSantis said "I know there a lot on the dockside still that can be brought out We've got 1.5 million gallons of diesel on hand that we can use for the state and to help replenish and I think we've got about 1.1 million gallons of regular gasoline." TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide Earlier on Thursday morning, state officials said emergency crews are "laser-focused" on search and rescue operations now that Hurricane Milton has moved off Florida's east coast. DeSantis said Milton delivered "much destruction and damage" across the state including punishing tornadoes on the east coast "We will better understand the extent of the damage as the day progresses," DeSantis said "You have people that are out there assessing damage right now." DeSantis gives update on Hurricane Milton aftermath Milton made landfall as a dangerous Category 3 storm near Siesta Key in Sarasota County at approximately 8:30 p.m DeSantis said first responders worked throughout the night and successfully completed at least 48 rescues — including both families and pets — as of 6:30 a.m The Florida National Guard currently has 31 aircraft and hundreds of rescuers conducting at least 125 active missions in 26 counties "There will be a lot more that will need to be done to assess the extent of the damage," DeSantis said "We have a lot of resources in play here in Florida to be able to mitigate and get people back on their feet and get the state moving again." said first responders are conducting "response and recovery efforts" after the twisters touched down starting at approximately 4:30 p.m Pearson had previously confirmed Wednesday that "multiple" people were killed at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Emergency officials are urging residents to stay off the roads and stay inside until it's safe to leave "Unnecessary traffic or bystanders will hinder response and recovery efforts," Gill said in a news release to WPTV TROPICAL STORM WATCH: An announcement that tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are possible within the specified coastal area within 48 hours TROPICAL STORM WARNING: An announcement that tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are expected within the specified coastal area within 36 hours HURRICANE WATCH: An announcement that hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or higher) are possible somewhere within the specified coastal area A hurricane watch is issued 48 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds HURRICANE WARNING: An announcement that hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or higher) are expected somewhere within the specified coastal area A hurricane warning is issued 36 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds — At the entrance to the Spanish Lakes Country Club community in St you'll find quaint and colorful homes: all seemingly untouched by Hurricane Milton But if you keep driving into the community the damage becomes visible — a roof gone here and some siding ripped off there The only thing remaining is an empty plot of dirt that is scarred by excavators and littered with a few personal belongings It's all that's left of Bill Cutlip's life He loved it here in Spanish Lakes," Sherry Ruiz This is the reality of the tragedy that happened." Ruiz stood in the middle of that empty lot still trying to understand why her cousin wasn't standing with her "I'm standing in front of his home that's not here with us anymore This house that is shredded up is the inside of my .. 9 — the day Hurricane Milton spawned an unprecedented number of tornadoes across Florida — she had tried to get her Uncle Bill to come and stay with her at her home in Vero Beach "I have a concrete block home and I thought it would be safe," Ruiz said sadly You call me if anything happens and let me know how it's going,' and I said I'll be with Jesus if I can't get back with you.'" Ruiz started hearing about tornadoes popping up across the area a tornado is ripping through Fort Pierce and it hit Spanish Lakes," Ruiz told WPTV That was an EF3 tornado the second to hit the Spanish Lakes community in about a half hour It ripped through the 55 and older community with 155 mph winds Ruiz immediately scrambled to get in touch with her cousin "Because there was no communication after that there was no phone service so I really thought maybe he lost his phone and ran to a friend's (home) The sheriff's department had told me a couple of friends said he may have left just grab a phone.' I was praying to myself 'Just a grab a phone and call me and tell me you're OK.' And it never happened," Ruiz recalled Ruiz said she then saw a picture of Cutlip's home on Facebook She identified it by his red car and the trees that surround his mobile home lot She also saw from the photo that his home was completely gone "And I knew then that he probably wouldn't make it out I prayed that he was maybe at a shelter with a friend," Ruiz said "I went to a couple of the shelters and there was no Bill Cutlip there Ruiz remembers driving past Spanish Lakes later that day and seeing St Lucie County deputies outside the community "I stopped the sheriff's department and I said Later that day she got the call a call from a deputy They found him that morning," Ruiz recalled Be strong enough to get through this.' And he has he's been with me my whole life and he's gotten me through this." she looked around the empty plot of land where just weeks before she sat with Cutlip drinking the coffee they so often bonded over you can't even imagine," Ruiz said shaking her head in disbelief "We never dreamed in a million years that we would go through something like this." Ruiz tries to process a steady stream of questions and a constant surge of emotions "I was angry at myself that I didn't physically make Uncle Bill get in the car I was angry that he didn't want to leave and come with me And I felt we all were being punished," Ruiz said believing there's hope and purpose through it all Ruiz said her cousin was a Vietnam War veteran who loved coffee She thinks about the things that Cutlip loved pointing to a folded flag draped across excavator equipment and what to cook and different coffee brands and how Winn-Dixie is doing today "How does it feel to find these things?" Hussey asked They're materials and they bring back memories Ruiz clings to her faith the way she says her Uncle Bill would "I couldn't understand why I'm going through this You're on top of the mountain then you're in the deep valleys," Ruiz said He's still great and that's my testimony and that's the hope Uncle Bill wanted us to have Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInSearch dogs are sniffing for signs of life Friday in the tornado-ravaged community of Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County, where at least six people were killed earlier this week. In an interview with WPTV News journalist Victor Jorges on Friday, Sheriff Keith Pearson described the neighborhood as "mayhem and destruction" with "unstable conditions." "It's just complete devastation in there. And trying to go through all of that rubble safely and quickly. We're yelling out, looking for signs of life. We have dogs out there sniffing," Pearson said. "This is gonna be a long process. But we're gonna do everything we possibly can to help those residents." WATCH: St. Lucie County sheriff talks tornado aftermath Pearson said the Florida National Guard is assisting the sheriff's office on Friday with its search and rescue mission, digging through 12-to-15-foot piles of debris, including couches, televisions, and residents' personal possessions. In addition, deputies are handing out water and food to residents, and setting up Wi-Fi and charging stations. "We're talking about multiple residences that are squashed together. Some that are on top of others," Pearson said. Three of the six victims killed in the Spanish Lakes Country Club were identified Thursday as Deborah Kennedy, 66, as well as Alejandro Alonso and his girlfriend, Mary Grace Viramontez. A fourth victim was identified on Friday by a family member as William Cutlip. "I hope that number doesn't rise. But as we go through the wreckage that these tornadoes left, we're going to do everything we can to try to rescue and recover as many people as possible," Pearson said. The sheriff said they're only letting people who live in the Spanish Lakes Country Club to enter the community at the request of the homeowners association. The sheriff's office is focusing most of its resources at Spanish Lake because authorities don't believe there are other injuries throughout the county. Pearson believes at least six tornadoes touched down throughout St. Lucie County on Wednesday. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WPTV NewsChannel 5 (@wptv) "We're gonna be there as long as it takes," Pearson said The sheriff added that if family members and friends have been unsuccessful in reaching their loved ones in the Spanish Lakes Country Club "Keep trying to contact them," Pearson said "We have our resources in those neighborhoods And we are working as fast as we possibly to save Officials at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce said they treated 15 patients from the tornadoes Lucie County on Friday afternoon with semi trucks loaded with supplies Lucie County leaders said Friday they're setting up a multi-agency resource center located at 2000 Virginia Avenue in Fort Pierce The hours will be Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m Lucie County leaders give update on tornado recovery efforts Florida Department of Children and Families will be at the resource center to offer services to affected residents For more storm-related information for St. Lucie County residents, call 772-460-HELP or click here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by WPTV NewsChannel 5 (@wptv) (CBS12) — As many parts of South Florida continue to recover from Wednesday’s tornadoes a woman identified her mother as one of the multiple people killed in the storms Lucie County earlier this year and found her home in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village her community was torn apart when tornadoes swept through the region Kennedy’s daughter Brandi Smith said the loss of her 66-year-old mother will leave a deep hole in the hearts of her children and grandchildren Smith added that the family plans to bring Kennedy’s body back to New York where she will be buried alongside her husband See Also:Residents clean up and figure out what's next after Milton Lucie County Emergency Management officials are asking the public to remain off the roads until it has been deemed safe to do so Officials said wanderers could impede critical response and recovery operations Find more ways to stay up to date with your latest local news. Sign up for our newsletter to get the day's top headlines delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the biggest stories and can't miss video — Weeks after tornadoes touched down across the region restoration still needs to be completed at the Creve Coeur Lake Soccer Park Complex which could cost several millions of dollars who said all 13 soccer fields were damaged With a large number of games and practices that take place there Page said it is important to get the fields back up and running as soon as possible “Tens of thousands of hours of soccer (happen) there every year and 28 weekends of tournaments on those fields a lot of economic activity in the region,” Page said on Tuesday during a press conference about an update on the debris at Spanish Lake Park numerous piles of tree limbs and debris are gathered at Spanish Lake Park The downed trees were caused by the March 14 tornadoes Page announced that the trees and debris will turn into mulch for the community ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — WPTV has confirmed through family members that a 66-year-old woman was among at least six people killed Wednesday from a tornado outbreak across the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach. The victim, identified as Deborah Kennedy, was one of those who died inside the hard-hit Spanish Lakes Country Club. She lived off San Felipe road in the senior community. Family members also told WPTV that Kennedy's boyfriend was found severely injured outside what used to be their house. Kennedy's daughter told WPTV she was an "amazing person": View this post on Instagram A post shared by WPTV NewsChannel 5 (@wptv) WPTV also learned that two other victims killed at Spanish Lakes from the tornado were Alejandro Alonso and his girlfriend Mary Grace Viramontez These details were confirmed by Alonso's grandson A fundraising page for Linero is now live and we are committed to providing them with the love and safe home they need as they recover from this traumatic event," the post reads Sheriff Keith Pearson released the names of six victims of the Spanish Lakes tornado: William CutlipMary Grace ViramontezAlejandro AlonsoRoger AmmonSandra McdonaldDeborah Kennedy Wednesday's tornadoes ripped through multiple communities on the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County A small spaghetti and salad dinner was held at Lakewood Park Church in St Lucie County on Thursday evening for anyone in need of a meal in the area.More of WPTV's tornado coverage below: LUCIE COUNTY − A resident of Spanish Lakes Country Club Village for nearly 30 years Sandra MacDonald had an “awesome green thumb,” and spent time caring for the greenery and shrubs around her home because her neighbors always looked out for her,” said MacDonald’s youngest daughter and know that people were watching out for her all the time.” A seventh storm-related death occurred Oct five days after a man fell from a ladder in southeast Port St Milton made landfall near Siesta Key with 120 mph winds and spun off a line of dangerous and powerful tornadoes across Martin Lucie and Indian River counties before exiting on Florida's east coast “She loved her neighbors and her neighbors loved her,” said another daughter of MacDonald Turba said her mother was born in Ohio before moving to Indiana MacDonald has a sister living in California and Wolfcale said she was a long time server at restaurants “She used to like going to the beach,” Turba said Turba said she spoke to her mother 20 minutes before the storm came I was calling her when the storm went through,” Turba said And I knew at that time something bad happened Wolfcale and Turba said they spoke to their mother a number of times each day and regularly visited her MacDonald was widowed and lived by herself at the time of her passing and was a big fan of author Danielle Steel old-fashioned hardback books that she could hold in her hand and read,” Wolfcale said “But she also had a Kindle and she read all the time.”  'We were best friends': Veteran's death one of 7 linked in St. Lucie to Hurricane Milton Tornado devestation in St. Lucie County: Sunnier Palms Nudist Park likely closed for months after tornado, Hurricane Milton Update: Four died following tornadoes Wednesday in St. Lucie County Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPBF-TV there were deaths in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village "We are going through the rubble," Pearson said 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 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 No estimates on property damage were available Follow TCPalm's live blog about the storm Wednesday. Hurricane Milton was a monster storm — particularly devastating to the Treasure Coast of Florida And that was before Hurricane Milton made landfall across the state Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, at 8:30 p.m. Oct. 9 as a Category 3 storm. On the other side of the coast, Hurricane Milton had spawned tropical tornadoes, destroying homes in Vero Beach and Spanish Lakes community worked tirelessly through the impacts of Hurricane Milton providing continuous information that mattered most to the Treasure Coast This included the devastating impacts of the multiple tornadoes that ripped through the community TCPalm editors, visuals journalists and reporters prepared you ahead of the storm safely worked through the highest winds and rain and provided important content immediately after – despite some sustaining damage to their own homes These photo galleries below best tell the devastation caused by Hurricane Milton across Indian River County Eyes from the sky: Wreckage of Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in Fort Pierce FloridaMany of the homes of this Fort Pierce Vero Beach residents discovering the destruction in the aftermath of tornadoes and Milton residents after seeing the consequences of tornadoes and Hurricane Milton Vero Beach residents return to their homes to see them ravaged by Hurricane Milton Ron DeSantis addressed the public on Hurricane Milton's reckoning in Fort Pierce See the glimpses of destruction after Hurricane Milton carved a path through the Treasure Coast Witness the havoc the coming of Milton caused in central Vero Beach before landfall Even before Hurricane Milton made landfall near Perry the Treasure Coast community felt impacts from the storm the inviting new Spanish restaurant from Botanica’s Heather Sperling and Siesta Co.’s Lucía Flors and Carlos Leiva the atmosphere is as important as the menu — and both are meant to conjure the culture and flavors of Spain in a way that feels like being there.“It’s a textured transporting space that I think is very feminine,” says Sperling whose food background includes working as a chef and editing culinary publications as a journalist She met Flors through mutual friends in Silver Lake launched their side company — the tinned fish brand Siesta Co — Sperling was one of the first to carry it at Botanica It wasn’t long before the duo started planning a bigger business venture together it was nearly impossible to find Spanish spaces like home,” Flors says “And we always had the idea of this type of conservas (tinned fish) bar in mind Savor L.A., One Bite at a Time! Stay updated on the city’s top dining spots, new openings, and food events. Subscribe to LAMag’s Food Newsletter below or click here Thelma Golden will celebrate Lauren Halsey and U.K.-based singer Griff will take the stage featured A-list designers and Otis College standouts who earned scholarships for innovation in Fashion Design lawyers say Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe showed injuries consistent with a dog attack and plan to present a case against Chloe a German Shepherd who was re-homed by the owner's of the house where the cop's body was found in a snowbank Magazine’s takeaways on five notable topics from President Donald Trump’s first 100 days of his second term consumers are stocking up on household items and bites from THEBlvd and Hinoki & the Bird Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email LOUIS COUNTY — A teenager was shot and killed Sunday in the Spanish Lake area of north St Sunday in the 11900 block of Larimore Road Louis County detectives have made no arrests in the killing Louis Post-Dispatch tracks the data behind reported homicides on an interactive map that allows readers to explore information in various ways Explore the homicide tracker Louis County house turned from a polite inquiry to gunfire Police have made no arrests but believe the shot that killed the boy came from his friends — not from the homeowner A jury convicted Demesha Coleman of first-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the shooting death of a 19-year-old who lived in the Wildwood house until it was condemned Katarina O'Reilly filed the suit Wednesday on behalf of her minor son who she said suffered second-degree burns when the coffee spilled onto … — As many as five people were killed Wednesday after at least two confirmed tornadoes tore through St Erick Gill, a spokesperson for the county, said first responders are conducting "response and recovery efforts" after the twisters touched down starting at approximately 4:30 p.m. as Hurricane Milton closed in on Florida. Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed Wednesday afternoon that "multiple" people were killed at the Spanish Lakes Country Club WATCH: Tornado damage in Spanish Lakes Country Club Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is scheduled to hold a news conference at 12 p.m. at the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. He'll be joined by Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and Maj. Gen. John Haas, the senior military adviser to the governor. Gill said Spanish Lakes Country Club is one of seven locations that "suffered significant damage." The others are Portofino Shores, Holiday Pines, Lakewood Park, South Florida Logistics Center 95, Sunnier Palms Park and Campground, and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office garage. Emergency officials are urging residents to stay off the roads and stay inside until it's safe to leave. "Unnecessary traffic or bystanders will hinder response and recovery efforts," Gill said in a news release to WPTV. "This is a weather event like none other," Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPTV News anchor Meghan McRoberts on Wednesday night, adding that somewhere between "6 and 12" tornadoes touched down in the county. Video posted on St. Lucie County's official Facebook page Thursday morning showed what appeared to be a tornado ripping through a parking lot in the area of Orange Avenue and South Rock Road on Wednesday afternoon. "While Hurricane Milton has left our area, St. Lucie County experienced significant damage from multiple tornados that impacted our area," the county posted on Facebook. "First responders and public works/utility crews are conducting recover efforts. Please stay off the roads and stay inside until it has been deemed safe to do so." View this post on Instagram A post shared by WPTV NewsChannel 5 (@wptv) Lucie County Public Schools and the Florida Department of Health St Lucie County to open an additional emergency shelter at Fort Pierce Central High School for residents displaced by the tornadoes Lucie County Commissioner Chris Dzadovsky sent the following message to WPTV News journalist Kate Hussey urging residents to "stay home and off the roads": responded to the Spanish Lakes Country Club on Wednesday "Our number one goal is life safety," Pearson said Some catastrophic damage," Gill said on Wednesday night Multiple tornadoes touched down across the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton closed in on the state State officials said there were 126 tornado warnings with 19 confirmed touchdowns At least five of the seven reported tornadoes across Broward and Palm Beach counties have been confirmed through photographic or video evidence Several confirmed tornadoes developed yesterday associated with Milton. Here's a very preliminary overview of the tracks of these tornadoes. pic.twitter.com/TBwo4x3R0k and Tampa issued 98 tornado warnings on Wednesday afternoon with the office in Miami issuing a record 55 of those warnings The NWS said it will conduct storm surveys over the coming days to determine how powerful these tornadoes were the NWS said "no preliminary EF-Scale ratings have been assigned" to these twisters Guthrie said about 125 homes were destroyed statewide Milton made landfall in Florida near Siesta Key just after 8:30 p.m but its wrath was felt across the Sunshine State for much of the day Hurricane Milton spawned three confirmed tornadoes on the Treasure Coast including two in Martin County and an EF3 that traveled over 21 miles from Fort Pierce to Vero Beach on Oct Weather officials are investigating two more suspected tornadoes that touched down in downtown Vero Beach Here are TCPalm’s videos and photo galleries showing the damage and articles with residents talking about it Xplor reconnects kids to nature and helps them find adventure in their own backyard A monthly publication about conservation in Missouri the printed magazine is free to residents of Missouri Mo.—The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is beginning construction of a new road on Columbia Bottom Conservation Area in Spanish Lake.  When completed the road will create a more direct connection from the area entrance to the boat ramp on the Missouri River.  MDC estimates the construction project will be complete by spring 2025 depending on weather.  The contractor will begin staging equipment on the area by the end of July The construction project will significantly improve public access to the boat ramp when completed The current route to the ramp is six miles; more than half of the travel is on gravel roads.  The new route will only be two-and-a-half miles long “The new road will provide quicker access to the river for the public as well as emergency services The current road will still be accessible for those wishing to access other parts of the area,” said Clinton Owenby The project will also include an improved circle drive at the boat ramp which will make it easier to maneuver trailers for launching and loading boats.  Visitors should note that the boat ramp and privies there will continue to be accessible to the public during the construction project.  “After the river destroyed the previous circle drive it made it difficult to maneuver a trailer around the parking lot The new circle drive will make it a lot more convenient,” Owenby said Columbia Bottom Conservation Area is located at 801 Strodtman Road in Spanish Lake.  It can be reached by taking the Riverview Drive exit three miles north from I-270.  For more information on the area and the latest updates, go to http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4bR MDC purchased this 4,318-acre tract in 1997 to create an urban conservation area.  Columbia Bottom is located at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and a 110-acre island.  It includes boat access onto the Missouri River and canoe/kayak access to the Mississippi River.  We facilitate and provide opportunity for all citizens to use Copyright ©2024 Conservation Commission of Missouri (This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.) Lucie County Sheriff’s Office on Midway Road where he provided a statewide update in front of its 27,000-square-foot crumpled steel structure used to store high-water vehicles Several patrol vehicles were damaged with crushed windows and roofs “Our hearts go out to everybody who’s been affected by this,” DeSantis said “We’re happy to have been supportive of the rescue efforts.” Six people dead at Spanish Lake Country Club VillageDeSantis was joined by a group of elected officials that included St who said a fifth person was found dead by search and rescue crews in the Spanish Lake Country Club Villages near Lakewood Park just before the news conference Pearson said Wednesday night four people had died but rescue crews had to stop searching the community as the wind speed began to increase overnight They went back into homes when it was safe Thursday morning and found another person had died A sixth person was found dead Thursday as searches remain underway He described it as a retirement community with seasonal residents Some of its residents who evacuated didn’t tell their neighbors so search and rescue crews don’t know if more people are missing “There’s nothing left but just a pile of rubble,” Pearson said “They’re literally having to go these piles of rubble This is just trailers that are completely destroyed.” Dozens of tornadoes reported in FloridaDeSantis also was joined by Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell was supposed to attend but DeSantis said her flight was diverted to the West Coast More than 120 tornado warnings were issued statewide Wednesday but actual tornadoes must be confirmed by weather officials after the storm Radar indicated possibly 20-25 tornadoes touched down across the state Officials were assessing damage across the state Thursday and working on debris removal and linemen were out working to restore power Pearson said he knew of vehicles that were overturned with people inside and saw a tractor-trailer get blown off Interstate 95 “You’ll see damage throughout the county,” Pearson said Pearson said six tornadoes landed in a 20-minute period One deputy would call in after spotting a tornado at Orange Avenue and Kings Highway and another deputy would call in a tornado 3 miles away on Angle Road – but they weren’t the same tornado “This is an incident that I’ve never seen here on the Treasure Coast,” Pearson said checking on storm damage to their homes and neighborhoods full trees were knocked over and signs were knocked down found a massive tree in the front yard split down the middle and fell on her car She said she didn’t know whom to call and quickly went back inside as wind gusts were reaching nearly 30 mph Traffic lights were dark across Fort Pierce including along Virginia Avenue and Okeechobee Road toward Florida’s Turnpike but slowly came back throughout the day as power was restored Internet and cell phone service remained spotty The tall privacy fence at Sunnier Palms Nudist Park on Okeechobee Road was knocked down Other people were driving around to look at damage despite tree limbs and power lines scattered across roadways Many drivers were seen bracing their cell phones on their steering wheels Many drove by the shredded South Florida Logistics Center 95 a 1.1-million-square-foot warehouse behind Wawa on the corner of Orange Avenue and Kings Highway It appeared to be in the path of a tornado that brushed by the St Lucie County Jail and the former Emergency Operations Center (This story was updated to add new information.)