EF1 Tornado — St. Lucie, Florida

2024-10-09 · near Ft Pierce St Lucie A, St. Lucie, Florida

Event narrative

A NWS Storm Survey confirms an EF-1 tornado impacted St. Lucie County before moving into Indian River County. This event was spawned from the same supercell that produced the Martin and St. Lucie County EF-0 tornado.

Based on interviews with local residents, the tornado touched down near the Meadowood Golf and Tennis Club in Fort Pierce where it produced considerable vegetative damage in the form of downed Oak and Pine trees, as well as Royal Palms at a local nursery. The circulation crossed Indrio Road where several pines were uprooted or snapped, indicative of winds of up to 90 mph. The tornado likely peaked in intensity here based on radar dual polarimetric data. The tornado then moved in a general northwest trajectory next to Interstate 95 where it produced minor damage to carports and roofs of a few mobile homes in the Spanish Lakes subdivision. The tornado moved briefly into Indian River County as it crossed 25th St SW and dissipated.

Wider weather episode

Hurricane Milton moved ashore the west-central Florida coast as a category 3 hurricane on Oct 9 around 1930EST. The system continued slowly in an east-northeast trajectory across central Florida, becoming a category 1 hurricane before emerging into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Canaveral. The outer rainbands of Milton overspread the Florida peninsula earlier in the day, leading to a prolific tornado outbreak across Okeechobee, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Osceola and Brevard counties with over 19 confirmed tornadoes within a 4-hour period. Milton's slow forward motion produced very heavy rainfall, with significant urban and street flooding particularly near and north of the center's track, as well as a significant river flood event along the St. Johns. Considerable tree damage and some structural damage occurred due to the system's tropical storm force winds, and hurricane force wind gusts, particularly near and north of the track of the center.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (27.4960, -80.4160)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1220136. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.