Port St. Lucie - Friday June 10, 2022: The heavy weather that blew across the Treasure Coast Thursday afternoon knocked down tree limbs and ripped off the roofs of some homes in a Port St. Lucie mobile home park.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was in effect for Port St. Lucie late Thursday afternoon. The manufactured homes in the Spanish Lakes Golf Village took a beating from the winds. The National Weather Service office in Melbourne says it was strong winds, not a tornado, that caused the damage.
St. Lucie County Communications Director Erick Gill says more than two-dozen homes were affected.
“The storm event that went through Spanish Lakes damaged about 30 homes that were without poor or had some type of damage from the storm," said Gill. "About a dozen had some significant damage, roof damage. Our building officials are on site to evaluate the structures to make sure they are still inhabitable.”
Meteorologist Brandan Shaper at the National Weather Service Office in Melbourne says they have reviewed the incident reports and photographs from the scene and concluded that storm force winds, not a tornado are responsible. “It looks consistent with thunderstorm wind damage," he said. The wind strength at the time the damage was done he said was estimated to be "somewhere between 50 and probably 60 MPH, with the evidence that we have on video. And again, it looks more like a thunderstorm wind gusts that did that type of damage.”
"There were no injuries as a result of the storm," said Gill. However one person suffered minor injuries during the cleanup following the storm.
On Friday morning, Gill said the impacted area had been inspected by the St. Lucie County Building Official. "Much of the damage appears to be related to additions to the homes," said Gill, "while many carports and some other areas were damaged, the majority of the homes do not appear to have sustained substantial damage."
However five residential structures were posted as being not occupiable due primarily to roof damage. Gill said the Red Cross responded and they are helping to find temporary housing for those in need.