A number of confirmed tornadoes touched down in the western Wellington area, as well as parts of the Acreage/Loxahatchee area, late Wednesday afternoon. The tornado activity was associated with the outer bands of Hurricane Milton, which made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County on Wednesday evening.
No confirmed fatalities have been reported, although a significant amount of damage has been reported.
“The Village of Wellington has experienced the early impacts of Hurricane Milton, with severe weather and tornadic activity already affecting multiple areas in our community,” Wellington Village Manager Jim Barnes said in a statement late Wednesday. “We’ve seen tornadic activity in neighborhoods including Rustic Ranches, Meadow Wood, Aero Club, Binks Forest and Lakefield. This has resulted in downed trees and power lines, and property damage.”
Barnes said that the village’s emergency personnel have been on the scene, working alongside Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to assess the situation and provide emergency services.
“While some impacted residents required medical assistance, no fatalities have been confirmed at this time,” he said. “Wellington’s Public Works team has cleared debris where possible and made roadways passable. Our debris contractor has been mobilized to assist in cleanup efforts.”
PBCFR released a statement Wednesday evening noting that the agency had responded to multiple reports of tornadoes, associated injuries and trapped people in the Wellington, Acreage and Loxahatchee areas.
“The 911 calls started coming in just before 5 p.m. and continued for more than 50 minutes,” according to the PBCFR statement. “Several tornado-related incidents were found in the Deer Path Lane area of Wellington and near Northlake and Coconut Boulevards in the Acreage and Loxahatchee areas. Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue immediately sent at least 40 units to the affected areas while the tornado was still circulating. Firefighters located and rescued multiple people from damaged structures and vehicles. Some were trapped under rubble or stuck in overturned vehicles tossed by the strong winds. Our Special Operations Team conducted a technical rescue to free one person from an overturned RV.”
Firefighters transported five patients, including three trauma patients, and treated many more walk-up, the agency added.
Officials from the Town of Loxahatchee Groves also noted tornado activity in the community, starting around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
“A tornado traversed through the Town of Loxahatchee Groves, causing some damage as it moved through the area. This damage included uprooted and snapped trees, overturned RVs and trucks, and downed power lines. After impacting the town, the tornado continued into The Acreage,” town officials noted in a press release Thursday.
Public Works crews from the town were on site within minutes of the event, conducting rapid damage assessments and initiating debris removal operations to ensure the safety of residents and restore access where possible. “Their immediate response has helped to mitigate further risks and set the groundwork for the recovery process,” the statement continued.
As of Thursday morning, C Road between Collecting Canal Road and Gruber Lane was closed to all traffic due to downed power lines and residents were advised to avoid the area until further notice.
“Public Works teams, in collaboration with utility providers, are prioritizing the safe removal of debris and repairs to impacted infrastructure,” town officials added. “The Town of Loxahatchee Groves urges residents to exercise caution and stay clear of downed power lines and debris. Power restoration efforts are underway, and residents can expect ongoing activity from emergency services and utility crews throughout the recovery process.”
There was also significant damage reported in The Acreage by officials from the Indian Trail Improvement District.
“We’re asking everyone to stay off the roads so we can get things cleaned up,” ITID President Elizabeth Accomando said Thursday morning. “Our crews need to get their work done. This is not the time to be sightseeing.”
She said Coconut Park near the corner of Coconut and Northlake boulevards is “devastated.” The pier that was installed there only of couple of months ago ended up on the other side of Northlake.
ITID Supervisor Keith Jordano added that ITID is helping get things cleaned up as soon possible.
“ITID crews have been out since early this morning,” Jordano said. “We’re working for our residents.”
ITID Supervisor Betty Argue was saddened to see the damage.
“It’s just devastation where the tornado came through,” Argue said. “Houses have lost roofs, horse barns are destroyed… trees with roots 25 feet wide are torn out… There are downed power lines everywhere. Only be out on the roads and in these areas if you need to be.”
Argue, who has lived in The Acreage since 2011, said she has never seen anything like this in the area.
“We’re used to hurricanes… but I don’t think people are really prepared for tornadoes [of this size and strength],” she said. “We’re very lucky the hurricane did not track over us and add to it.”
Argue noted that her home is without power and expects that some areas will be without electricity for some time.
ITID Executive Director Burgess Hanson also urged residents and others to stay off the roads and away from damaged areas and work crews.
While the immediate tornado warnings for the area have expired, the possibility for additional tornados remained high as Hurricane Milton moves across the state overnight Wednesday and during the day on Thursday. Residents are urged to shelter in place and to not venture outdoors until the storm has passed.
“We are fully prepared, with resources from both local and county agencies deployed to protect residents and respond to emergencies,” Wellington’s Barnes said. “Our critical message right now is to ask residents to stay indoors and stay off the roadways. It’s vital to avoid unnecessary travel while crews work to assess the situation and secure the affected areas. If you are in the impacted neighborhoods or areas under tornado warnings, take shelter immediately and move to a safe place inside your home.”
He suggested that residents monitor local weather updates and heed all official warnings from federal, state and county officials.
Barnes added that Wellington offices will be closed Thursday to allow emergency responders and Public Works crews to focus on storm response and recovery. Schools will also remain closed Thursday.
“Once the storm passes, our crews and inspectors will begin a rapid assessment of any damage across the community. We ask for your patience as this process unfolds,” Barnes said. “We encourage residents to report issues such as downed trees, flooding or other storm-related concerns through the GoWellington app or by visiting our web site at www.wellingtonfl.gov/GoWellington.”
