SEBASTIAN — Residents in Sebastian and Vero Beach are bracing for a hard freeze tonight, with temperatures expected to plunge as low as 26 degrees, prompting warnings from weather officials about potential damage to crops, plumbing and sensitive vegetation.
The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning for the area, along with an Extreme Cold Warning for dangerously low wind chills between 9 and 15 degrees and a Wind Advisory for northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 to 50 mph. The advisories cover all of east central Florida, including Brevard, Indian River, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties.
The Wind Advisory takes effect at 3 p.m. Saturday and lasts until 7 a.m. Sunday. The Extreme Cold Warning and Freeze Warning begin at 7 p.m. Saturday and continue until 1 p.m. Sunday…