WATCH LIVE: DeSantis holds news conference in Fort Pierce
Less than 24 hours after a tornado outbreak killed at least four people in St. Lucie County, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will visit the hurricane-ravaged county on Thursday.
DeSantis is scheduled to hold a news conference at noon 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.
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.
Speaking in Tallahassee, 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."
WATCH: Gov. 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. Wednesday.
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, DeSantis said.
As of 9 a.m. Thursday, 3.1 million accounts are without power, 635,000 restorations have taken place, and 50,000 utility linemen are in the state working to repair storm-related outages.
"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."
Four people were killed Wednesday in at least two confirmed tornadoes in St. Lucie County, an official said Thursday morning.
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 Milton closed in on Florida.
Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed multiple people were killed at the Spanish Lakes Country Club, a senior community off Spanish Lakes Boulevard near Fort Pierce.
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.
