Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that 25 people have been rescued from tornado-hit areas in St. Lucie County.
“We traveled to St. Lucie County to assess tornado damage from Hurricane Milton,” DeSantis said in a social media post.
“We are grateful to the first responders who responded to the area and stood ready to save lives. So far, at least 25 people have been rescued from this tornado-hit area,” he said. I made it.
“Search and rescue operations continue in storm-affected areas across Florida,” the governor continued, pledging that “lifesaving efforts will continue as long as necessary.”
In fact, tornadoes hit the state on Wednesday ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton. At the time, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that “multiple tornado warnings are in effect across the Florida peninsula.” He added that if a tornado warning is issued in your area, people should huddle “indoors, away from windows and away from flooding,” and be prepared to evacuate immediately.
Some of the most extensive damage was seen in Fort Myers, where roofs were literally ripped off homes.
Related — From bad to bad! Tornado spotted in Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton
Coby Krager/TMX
The news comes as Florida has a myriad of storm-responsive assets.
“We have hundreds of state search and rescue personnel on standby, 26 teams total,” DeSantis said ahead of the storm.
“They are currently stationed in affected areas along the West Coast and will begin relief efforts as soon as the storm clears,” he said. He added that 3,000 National Guard troops were being deployed. says. ”
“Currently, thousands of state and local emergency personnel and more than 50,000 linemen are on duty at sites like these across Florida. They are ready to save lives and restore power once the hurricane passes. We are grateful for what they are doing to help the people of our state and wish them safety as they do their jobs,” he added. .
