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    • Hurricane Milton brought heavy rain and winds to Indian River County
    Suffolk

    Hurricane Milton brought heavy rain and winds to Indian River County

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

    Editor’s note: Watch the 10 a.m. 911 center livestream video above.

    INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – Severe weather damage to buildings and infrastructure, as well as flooding, were seen throughout the Vero Beach area Thursday following the passage of Hurricane Milton.

    East of downtown Vero Beach on Commerce Avenue along 20th Street and 20th Place, downed trees, twisted metal from overturned railroad equipment, and broken traffic lights on the ground were seen near utility lines lying across streets, while there was traffic in yards and Severe flooding occurred off roadways along 43rd Avenue.

    Several people and vehicles were out surveying the damage, at least one had a flat tire and several cars and trucks drove over broken wires in front of 20th Place near the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce.

    Traffic lights were out throughout the area, and the downtown traffic lights, which are still off, are not working.

    The area received multiple tornado warnings Wednesday evening off Milton, which struck between approximately 11 p.m. and 3 a.m., while strong wind gusts continued to affect the area around 9 a.m

    Just after 1 a.m., more than 16,000 people were without power, according to Florida Power and Light

    Emergency officials scheduled a conference at the county emergency operations center for 1:30 p.m.

    Hurricane Milton brought heavy rainfall and sustained winds of 45-55 mph, with gusts up to 70-80 mph.

    Bridges were closed amid sustained winds of 45 mph expected here in the early hours of the morning.

    People were asked to stay in their homes until law enforcement declared the roads clear. Although there were no mandatory evacuations in the area, people in mobile homes or flood-prone areas were urged to move to safer areas.

    All district schools are closed on Thursdays and Fridays.

    After winds reached sustained speeds of 45 mph, no first responders were dispatched to 911. However, emergency calls were queued and answered based on priority after the winds died down. 772-226-4000.

    Officials who spoke at the conference were Emergency Services Director Dave Johnson, Deputy Director Ryan Lloyd, Sheriff Eric Flowers and County Administrator John Titkankich.

    Another press conference is scheduled for Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

    Hardware stores in the Vero Beach area were busy early Wednesday as shoppers made last-minute rush purchases.

    The Treasure Coast is under hurricane warnings and a hurricane watch ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall early Thursday. The storm reached Category 4 on Wednesday morning.

    Treasure Coast residents should prepare for Category 1 hurricane conditions or “at least a tropical storm,” according to the National Weather Service.

    A hurricane warning is also in effect for local coastal waters extending 15 nautical miles off the Treasure Coast.

    On Wednesday, Corey creates the SLC Presto shell and prepopulates the information for Thursday. May or may not be used, but let’s have the shell ready to use.

    Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers. Follow @coreyarwood at X, email [email protected] or call 772-978-2246.

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    Caradoc Wyn
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