'Multiple fatalities' at senior community after tornado outbreak in Florida: reports

Related video: St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office installation damaged by tornado

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (WFLA) — Multiple radical were killed astatine a elder assemblage arsenic Hurricane Milton spawned tornadoes successful Florida, according to section reports.

The fatalities occurred astatine the Spanish Lakes Country Club successful Fort Pierce, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office confirmed to NBC affiliate WPTV and ABC affiliate WPBF. However, it's unclear however galore radical were killed.

Dozens of agencies, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, responded to the assemblage wherever dozens of homes are being searched arsenic hunt and rescue operations are presently underway.

"We person dozens of homes successful St. Lucie County that person been damaged, immoderate catastrophic damage," St. Lucie County spokesperson Erick Gill told WPTV. "We are moving with the St. Lucie County Fire District ... National Guard, arsenic good arsenic units from the sheriff's bureau and adjacent archetypal responders from surrounding counties to assistance with hunt and rescue."

Gill said the extremity is to assistance survivors and bash harm assessment.

"We person 3 shelters that were already open, but we're looking astatine converting different schoolhouse to a 4th structure to instrumentality attraction of those who whitethorn person been displaced by the tornadoes that ripped done our country this afternoon," Gill said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said determination person been 116 tornado warnings with 19 confirmed interaction downs.

Kevin Guthrie, the manager of Florida's Division of Emergency Management, said astir 125 homes were destroyed statewide, mostly mobile homes successful elder communities.

Hurricane Milton made landfall successful Siesta Key arsenic a Category 3 tempest astir 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.