St. Lucie County Hurricane Milton Update No. 7

Published on October 14, 2024

ST. LUCIE COUNTY – In the first two days of operations, St. Lucie County’s Multi-Resource Agency Center (MARC) at the Havert L. Fenn Center aided roughly 800 residents impacted by Hurricane Milton. Additionally, St. Lucie County staff delivered tarps and meals ready to eat (MREs) to impacted neighborhoods, including Creekside and Indian River Estates.

 The Multi-Resource Agency Center (MARC) is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside the Fenn Center, located at 2000 Virginia Ave. in Fort Pierce. Organizations on-site include Hope Navigators registering unmet needs, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the Florida Department of Health, Florida Department of Children & Families, Department of Business and Professional Regulation and State Emergency Response Team.

Volunteering

Residents wishing to volunteer with the relief/recovery efforts in St. Lucie County are asked to call the public information line to provide their contact information. The public information lines are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at 772-460-HELP (4357). 

Closures

St. Lucie County offices, attractions and libraries are open for normal operations. However, library programs such as story time have been suspended through Sunday, Oct. 20 as library staff are assisting with relief efforts and the public information lines. Additionally, recreation programs at the Fenn Center have been canceled for the week as the site is being used for disaster relief efforts.

All St. Lucie County preserves remain closed until further notice as many sites are flooded and trails have downed trees.

St. Lucie County parks are open with the exception of the following:

• White City Park, 2081 W Midway Road, Fort Pierce
• Blind Creek Beach, 5460 S Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Walton Rocks Beach / Dog Park, 6700 S Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

St. Lucie County Ocean Rescue Lifeguards are back on duty. Residents are advised to use caution and swim at lifeguarded beaches: Pepper Park Beach, 3375 N Hwy A1A on North Hutchinson Island, and Waveland Beach, 10350 S Ocean Drive on South Hutchinson Island.  Residents can stay updated by calling the Beach Conditions Hotline at 772-462-1421.

Damages

More than 100 homes and businesses sustained major damage and more than 300 reported minor damage from Hurricane Milton in the unincorporated areas (outside city limits). Residents are encouraged to help document the damage from Hurricane Milton by using the county’s self-reporting - https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/e5d5cb7556f2464787f6e94e38c664da.

St. Lucie County reminds residents and businesses that unlicensed contractors from outside the area will be looking for those seeking speedy repair.  To avoid being taken advantage of or stuck with repairs/fines that the homeowner could be responsible for:

• Always hire a Florida licensed contractor
• Get at least three written quotes for any job
• Never put down more than a 10 percent deposit

To verify a license, residents can visit www.MyFloridaLicense.com, and click verify a license or email St. Lucie County’s Contractor Licenses Division at johnsonrox@stlucieco.org.

 The current death toll in St. Lucie County from Hurricane Milton stands at six fatalities.

 The most heavily impacted areas include:

• Spanish Lakes Country Club Village
• Portofino Shores
• Holiday Pines
• Lakewood Park
• South Florida Logistics Center 95
• Sunnier Palms Park and Campground
• St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Garage

St. Lucie County’s Public Information Lines - 772-460-HELP (4357) - will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until further notice. Additional information can be found at www.stlucieco.gov and on St. Lucie County’s social media channels @Stluciegov.