‘As Long As It Takes’: 25 Saved from Tornado-Damaged Area in Aftermath of Hurricane Milton

Twenty-five individuals were saved from a tornado-damaged area in St. Lucie County, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday.

“We visited St. Lucie County to survey the damage from tornadoes caused by Hurricane Milton,” DeSantis said in a social media post.

“We’re grateful for the first responders who staged in the area and were ready to save lives. So far, at least 25 people have been rescued from this tornado-damaged area,” he revealed.

“Search and rescue efforts are ongoing in storm-affected areas throughout Florida,” the governor continued, promising that the “lifesaving operations will continue for as long as it takes.”

Indeed, tornadoes ripped through the state Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival. At the time, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned of “multiple tornado warnings in effect across Florida peninsula.” It added that individuals should be ready to shelter quickly if a tornado warning is given in their area, flocking to areas “away from windows and in an interior room not prone to flooding.”

Some of the most extensive damage can be seen in Fort Myers, which had roofs literally ripped off homes.

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Video Source: Koby Kreiger /TMX

The news comes as Florida has countless assets responding to the storm.

“We have hundreds of state search and rescue personnel on hand — 26 total teams,” DeSantis said ahead of the storm’s arrival.

“They are currently embedded in the potential impact sites along the west coast to begin immediate rescue operations as soon as the storm passes,” he said, adding that the National Guard is deploying 6,000 Florida National Guardsmen “as well as 3,000 National Guardsmen from other states.”

“Thousands of state and local emergency personnel and over 50,000 linemen are now at sites like these across Florida. They are prepared to save lives and start restoring power as soon as the hurricane passes. We are grateful for all they are doing to help the people of our state, and we pray for their safety as they do their jobs,” he added.