NWS confirms tornado touchdown in Vero - Fox29 WFLX TV, West Palm Beach, Florida-

NWS confirms tornado touchdown in Vero

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VERO BEACH, FL (WFLX) - Residents are cleaning up damage from an EF-0 tornado that hit several dozen homes in three communities Monday off State Road 60: Vero Palm Estates on 82nd Avenue; Countryside at 87th Avenue and Paradise Park on 88th Avenue, according to Indian River County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jeff Luther.

The National Weather Service in Melbourne confirmed the tornado touchdown.

A tornado warning was in effect Monday from 11:30 until around 12:52 p.m. for Indian River County and St. Lucie County. Martin County's tornado warning ended around 12:40 p.m.

Indian River County Schools were under a "code yellow" during the tornado warning meaning the schools were placed on lockdown.

There are no injuries reported at this time.

Sheriff's office spokesperson Jeff Luther said deputies and emergency officials were at the scene. "One [of the mobile homes] had the roof taken off of it," Luther said. "We're trying to asses the damage and injuries."

A few residents said they saw the tornado come down at Countryside just about two minutes after 11 a.m. "Yeah, I was scared," said resident Sam Balucci, who said he heard a humming sound before the tornado hit.

"You could just see stuff flying in the trees," said resident Don Debaggis.

There were no injuries and some of the residents at the hit homes were not home at the time, sheriff's officials said.

A roof is off of a home in the 2300 block of 85th Court in Paradise Park, sheriff's officials said.

Several dozen homes in Vero Palm Estates were damaged, including shattered windows, destroyed car ports, and least one manufactured home shoved at least 4 feet off its foundation, according to rescue crews.

Further east, the north and southbound lanes of U.S. 1 are flooded at 12th Street, stretching to 15th Street, Vero Beach police report.

According to the Indian River County Sheriff's Office, a deputy suffered minor injuries after being involved in a car accident. His vehicle hydroplaned. The accident happened in the 6300 block of Route 60. 

The deputy was responding to storm damage calls in Indian River County.  He was released from the hospital earlier on Monday.

He is back on the streets working.

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