Port St. Lucie Picks Up Pieces Left By Tornado
PORT ST. LUCIE (CBSMiami) – Memorial Day festivities in Port St. Lucie were disrupted when a weak twister touched down near the Lyngate Park neighborhood.
The tornado's winds were estimated between 65 and 85 mph, according to the National Weather Service. A home at the 1900 block of Southeast Millbrook caught the worst of the damages in the neighborhood. The roof was ripped from the home.
Tom and Libby Petrillo rent the home to their adult children who were not there at the time.
Libby Petrillo said when they got to their roofless home dozens of police and fire officials were there inspecting the property.
"Shingles all over and plywood scattered, the fire department said the inside was fine, but it's still amazing, with a big hole in the roof," she said.
The Petrillo's son, Robert and his wife, Susan, were in Miami watching the Marlins defeat the Washington Nationals 5 to 3 at the time of the tornado. Libby Petrillo called to tell the couple of the missing roof.
"I was kind of relieved, a little bit, because at first I thought there was nothing left. I thought half the house was gone," Robert Petrillo said.
Typically St. Lucie County has three tornadoes in May. Most occur in August when about 12 typically occur in the county, according to the National Weather Service. Both June and July have about five. Usually the tornadoes are small and do little damage.
"All the firemen, they got right up there and put the tarps on the roof for us," Libby Petrillo said. "They told us the tornado went from east to west and hit the back of the roof and took it right off."
Residents of the community helped those in need in quite a few ways.
Lyngate Park was cleaned free of debris by coaches, staff, and the kids of the Port St. Lucie American Little League team.
The outfield fence was completely torn away from its posts, according to TCPalm.com
The local Home Depot dropped off a free tarp to cover the house and protect it from the rain.
"We're part of the community just like the houses around us. We have to give back. We're not just a place to shop," said Home Depot employee Patricia Milazzo.
Despite the damages reported throughout the community, no one was harmed.
TCPalm.com contributed to this report.
