Fort Pierce residents are waking up to storm damage in many areas of the city after Hurricane Irma blasted Florida on Sunday.
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On Indian River Drive, residents were busy assessing their homes and picking up debris.
Strong winds damaged an apartment building at the corner of Easter Avenue and Indian River Drive. Multiple windows were blown out of apartments.
Resident Louis Ortiz was inside his apartment when a strong gust of wind blew the windows out of his home around 7:30 p.m.
Ortiz said he was at the same apartment when Hurricane Matthew hit the area last October.
“(Hurricane) Matthew was nothing compared to this,” said Ortiz. “I should have been more prepared.”
There was substation beach erosion at the Jetty Park Beach in Fort Pierce.
Crazy beach erosion at the Jetty Park Beach in Fort Pierce @WPTV@JonShainman@FortPiercePD@StLucieGOVpic.twitter.com/qEQOSIfoZK
— Alyssa Hyman (@AlyssaHymanWPTV) September 11, 2017
Residents are being advised to stay home while police and emergency officials asses the conditions of roads.
Fort Pierce police spokesman Ed Cunningham said residents should stay inside because of many downed power lines and trees, along with flooding.
Cunningham said about 54 percent of customers in Fort Pierce were without power Monday morning.
There were reports of flooding near the Orange Blossom Mall and the Savannahs community.
The city of Fort Pierce issued the following statement at 9 a.m. Monday:
Fort Pierce response teams have begun performing post-storm safety assessments including:
- Street clearing and downed tree removal
- Damage and safety assessments throughout the community
- Damage assessment of public infrastructure, including traffic lights, sign damage
South Bridge
At this time, only residents and business owners of South Hutchinson Island are allowed to cross South Bridge.
Power Restoration
Fort Pierce Utilities Authority has doubled their restoration and vegetation management crews so that service can be restored as quickly as possible
Road Conditions
Flooding is a major issue for Fort Pierce and residents are urged to stay off the roads for their safety. The depth of the water is unclear on many roads as well as what could be in the water including downed power lines. St. Lucie County will deliver the "all clear" once it is safe for residents to venture out
