The same tornado that devastated For Pierce’s Spanish Lakes neighborhood, killing six people, crossed the border into Indian River County, destroying roofs and trees in Vero Beach, according to the National Weather Service.
Although there were no deaths in Vero Beach from Hurricane Milton — which spawned a series of violent tornadoes across the state for hours before making landfall on the Gulf Coast — the tornado caused massive damage on the barrier island.
As residents of Dahlia Lane continued the arduous task of felling trees and clearing debris from their yards under the hot sun Saturday, Olivia Chasse and her 6-year-old daughter Charlotte walked down the street with their golden retriever, Ben.
READ MORE: Milton’s deadly shock in St. Lucie. ‘We were prepared for a hurricane, but not a tornado’
Ben, 10, is a retired therapy dog who Olivia adopted from a shelter in 2014, on the day he was set to be euthanized. She trained him as a therapy dog for 18 months, and he served hospital patients for more than six years before his owners retired him after visiting many people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He had been doing his job for many years,” Olivia, 37, told the Miami Herald. “He had many patients that he brought a smile to and the nurses loved having him at the hospital.”
“During COVID he worked in hospitals and nursing homes, so we thought it was a good time for him to retire when they shut down.”
After the tornadoes hit Vero Beach, Olivia tried to think of a way her family could help residents. There were plenty of people dropping off food, water and other supplies, so she decided to take Ben for a walk so people struggling with Milton’s aftermath could have a few minutes to cheer up while petting him.
“We had a retired therapy dog at home, so we thought this was our way to help,” Olivia said. “He knows his job and hopefully he can put a smile on some faces as everyone navigates through this.”
‘Much is still unknown’
Will Ulrich, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service Melboure, said the tornado that ripped through Vero Beach started in Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County before working its way 20 miles south.
As the tornado ripped through Kings Highway in Fort Pierce around 5 p.m. Wednesday, destroying trees, power lines, homes and businesses the width of about five football fields and with winds up to 155 miles per hour, it weakened some as it crossed the Indian River. County, Ulrich said.
But then it gained strength as it crossed the Intracoastal Waterway and regained strength, packing winds between 120 and 130 mph as it traveled through Vero Beach, Ulrich said.
Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey confirmed to the Herald that no deaths have been reported in connection with the tornado in the coastal city.
The confirmed tornadoes were among 160 tornado warnings issued statewide Wednesday by the National Weather Service, the second-most warnings in a single day in a single state in the country, according to data from Iowa State University.
The tornadoes began whipping up across the state hours before Hurricane Milton slammed into Siesta Key, a barrier island off the coast of Sarasota, with 125 mph winds.
READ MORE: Florida’s hurricane-weary Gulf Coast residents evacuated to Milton. How lives were saved.
Ulrich said his team is still trying to confirm the number of tornadoes that hit Vero Beach, but they have already confirmed that two others, which were much weaker, hit the city between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m., before the much larger one arrived. .
“We have investigative teams still trying to gather information,” he said. “There are still many unknowns.”
