While Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida’s west coast in October 2024, it was the tornadoes on the east coast that delivered the most tragic blow, particularly in Fort Pierce, where an EF3 tornado claimed six lives and left a neighborhood in ruins.
A Gulf coast storm with Florida east coast devastation
Though Milton’s eye hit the Gulf side, the storm system spawned at least 45 tornadoes across Central and Southern Florida, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The most destructive struck Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in Fort Pierce, turning a retirement community into a disaster zone.
“It sounded like a plane that fell out of the sky,” said Jackie Scott, who rode out the tornado in a small space with her dog and two cats. “I didn’t even realize that part of the roof was gone.”
Scott’s home was later reduced to debris. Though she survived without injury and received FEMA assistance within weeks, she now lives in a new mobile home in another part of Fort Pierce. Her original lot remains vacant.
Rebuilding and financial strain after Hurricane Milton
Scott is one of the few who feel lucky. Others, like Jeanna McKamey, are still in a prolonged struggle with bureaucracy and financial burdens…