Hurricane Milton sees 'multiple deaths' as tornado tears through Florida

St. Lucie County authorities have reported "multiple fatalities" following a tornado that devastated the area earlier.

Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed that several lives were lost within the Spanish Lakes Country Club, a community largely populated by seniors. As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida's coastline, the exact number of casualties is yet to be determined.

Sheriff Pearson highlighted ongoing thorough checks of each residence as part of the search and rescue operations that are currently underway. A host of agencies, including officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, have arrived at the scene to provide assistance, reports the Mirror.

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Erick Gill, a spokesperson for St. Lucie County, stated: "We have dozens of homes in St. Lucie County that have been damaged, some catastrophic damage. We are working with the St. Lucie County Fire District.... National Guard, as well as units from the sheriff's office and even first responders from surrounding counties to help with search and rescue."

Officials have reported approximately 125 homes destroyed across the state. Southern Florida experienced severe weather conditions on Wednesday morning, with intense rain and tornadoes wreaking havoc.

The weather forecast indicated potential rainfall of six to 12 inches (15 to 31 centimetres), and possibly up to 18 inches (46 centimetres) in certain inland areas, raising concerns about catastrophic flooding.

A tornado touched down in the sparsely populated Everglades on Wednesday morning, crossing Interstate 75. Another suspected tornado hit Fort Myers, causing damage to trees and tearing apart a gas station's canopy.

The agency has confirmed that the tornado watch will remain in effect until 9pm ET on Wednesday, covering parts of south Florida, including Miami, Key Largo, Tampa, Port St. Lucie, Jupiter Farms, Sebring, Sebastian, Sarasota, North Port, Cape Coral, and Bonita Springs.

Kevin Guthrie, who leads Florida's Division of Emergency Management, confirmed they have multiple task forces heading to the affected areas.