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.
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That report also found, "over 20 homes were tossed (some flipped) from their foundation."
It added, “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, one was brand new.
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.
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THREE OTHER TORNADOES
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, according to the NWS, and began in The Preserve, 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."
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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.
According to the NWS, one of the first reported tornadoes in Okeechobee County lasted eight miles and was categorized as an EF1.
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The NWS says it touched down on US Highway 98 near the Okeechobee County Airport, "where a manufactured home was lifted from its foundation, stripped from the tie downs, and thrown northward nearly 200 yards while being completely destroyed. Two individuals were injured."
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.
Then, according to the NWS, the tornado moved into open pasture for its last 4 miles, causing no known damage, before it lifted.
The National Weather Service notes that all these reports are preliminary and subject to change.
