INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — WPTV has obtained body camera video from the Indian River County Sheriff's Office that shows the tense moments that occurred on Oct. 9, 2024, during a historic tornado outbreak.
The video shows deputies advising people to evacuate their homes after tornadoes along the Treasure Coast were quickly spawned by Hurricane Milton's outer bands.
WATCH BELOW: 'It's going to be crazy': Indian River County deputies advise residents to evacuate
WPTV watched more than three hours of body camera footage from the storm. The footage, obtained through a public records request, shows deputies saying evacuations weren't mandatory, but they went door-to-door advising people about the dangers.
"If this is the outer ban, I can't imagine what the middle of this (hurricane) is going to look like," a deputy can be heard saying to two people outside a home in Indian River County.
The video footage also showed deputies searching homes, which appeared damaged from the storm, with flashlights for survivors. Deputies were also seen on the video marking houses as "cleared" with spray paint.
WATCH BELOW: Deputies assist tornado victim after storm
The video footage also showed deputies helping a man navigate through tree debris that had fallen onto his house and property after the storm. The man was then moved to a shelter at a local elementary school.
The deputy, according to the body camera footage, then radioed to request a larger vehicle to transfer more people in the surrounding area to a shelter.
WATCH BELOW: WPTV's special "The Day the Sky Turned"
