PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Everything changed in just a matter of minutes on the afternoon of Oct. 9, as violent weather uprooted homes and lives.
People wondered whether it was safe to stay in their homes.
"I already told them that's not safe. We got up the street and cars flipped," one man said.
Through the lens of newly obtained body camera videos, we are seeing the extent of widespread destruction across Loxahatchee Groves to the Acreage. The impact of a tornado outbreak that crossed Southern Boulevard and headed north.
"There's a pretty good-sized tornado, Coconut and Northlake. I see cars flipped, houses damaged," one man reported.
Multiple calls to 911 reported what they saw.
"There's a car in a tree in the park in the corner. I don't know if anyone is in that car, it's pretty cracked up, I couldn't get to it because of the power lines and the damage," one woman said.
In the immediate aftermath, a car flattened on its side.
Weather News
The Acreage, Loxahatchee Groves among communities with tornado damage
"How did this guy get out if he's not in there, unless it was parked," a deputy said.
Deputies pushed on through the shredded trees and debris.
"Should we go, keep going down there?" a deputy asked.
Live wires littered the ground.
"So, there's multiple power lines down, it's in the road, there's like some in the canal and then a transformer is hanging by a wire. I mean if a gust of wind come it's going to fall," one woman told 911 operators.
Yet, throughout the catastrophe law enforcement's seen protecting and serving any and all in the storm's path.
Wellington tornado damage
WPTV's Michael Hoffman looked at the response to Deer Path Lane, after combing through hours of new body camera footage.
It shows a lot of destruction and deputies racing around trying to save lives in the now-empty space on Deer Path Lane. Just two months ago, there was a home there. The tornado that destroyed it had winds over 140 mph.
WATCH: WPTV's Michael Hoffman in Wellington
The look from first responders' body cameras is gruesome as they tend to an injured man. We aren’t going to show you his face but he has a big cut on his head. Ramiro Pedro Delgado’s home, now gone.
His son was injured and was one of 15 people that lived here. Many of them went to the hospital.
“But you guys lived here?” asked the deputy.
“Yeah,” responded one civilian.
“Everyone is out, correct?” the deputy asked.
“Yeah, six people hospital and three more here,” responded the civilian.
Now, miraculously, no one in Palm Beach County died as a result of this storm, which, considering the damage you just saw, is a true testament to our first responders.
