South Florida officials have confirmed fatalities following a devastating tornado outbreak on Wednesday, triggered by the approach of Hurricane Milton.
In St. Lucie County, multiple deaths were reported after a cluster of six to twelve suspected tornadoes struck the area simultaneously. Local authorities told WPBF-TV that the exact number of casualties is still being determined.
The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Miami issued 55 tornado warnings by 6 p.m. ET, with warnings from other NWS offices in Tampa Bay and Melbourne pushing the total to 98 across the region.
“At least nine confirmed tornadoes today in our NWS Miami area (Preliminary),” the NWS said on the platform X, as verification efforts continued.
The outbreak marks one of the most severe tornado events in recent Florida history, occurring just as Hurricane Milton looms offshore, threatening further damage in the coming hours
