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Hobe Sound Early Learning Center has windows shattered, playground equipment damaged by EF1 tornado

'All of a sudden the pressure dropped, ears were popping,' Kiersten Alberto says

Children and administrators at an early learning center had to take cover when a possible tornado roared through Martin County.

By: Jon Shainman

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HOBE SOUND, Fla. — When an EF1 tornado came roaring through Hobe Sound on Wednesday, hundreds of children were inside two buildings.

Just north of the intersection of Bridge Road and Gomez Avenue are two education centers — the Hobe Sound Early Learning Center and Hobe Sound Elementary School.

Dewayne Mincey works for the school district and had just come to the school to drop off some packages when he found himself in the middle of the storm.

He sat inside his vehicle waiting for the rain to subside a bit, but it would quit.

Dewayne Mincey (left) waited out the Hobe Sound tornado in his truck.

"It was raining. We were sitting in the truck for about two minutes and then the winds started to pick up," Mincey said. "I motioned to my partner. I was like 'The wind is getting crazy, swirling.' You could see debris was flying, hitting the vehicle. The vehicle was turning sideways, it was lifting up on us."

The children who were inside the school as part of summer school or camp programs were bussed to Port Salerno Elementary to get picked up.

"We have some damage across the school, not some much to the actual building but in the back of the school, the playground area, the outside gymnasium area,' Martin County School District spokesman Derek Lowe said. "There were some bleachers flipped over."

Kiersten Alberto explains to WPTV reporter Jon Shainman what she and the children did to take cover during the tornado.

While the Hobe Sound Elementary building escaped unscathed, that wasn't the case across the street at the Hobe Sound Early Learning Center where trees were down, playground equipment was damaged and two windows were shattered.

The staff acted quickly and got the children into their safe areas.

"All of a sudden the pressure dropped, ears were popping, but the kids were safe and we're all safe," Kiersten Alberto of the Hobe Sound Early Learning Center said.

The Hobe Sound Learning Center will be closed for the rest of the week because of the damage.

Summer class and camp at Hobe Sound Elementary will be held at Port Salerno Elementary on Thursday and Friday.