St. Lucie County updates: Hurricane Ian impacts Wednesday in Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce
Check back throughout the day Wednesday, Sept. 28 for updates.
Editor's note: Here are live updates for Thursday, Sept. 29.
TCPalm has staff across Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce to provide updates on Hurricane Ian’s impact Wednesday to St. Lucie County.
7:19 p.m. - Road woes
The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office reported street flooding throughout the county. Sheriff’s officials advised motorists to use caution. The roads the agency indicated are experiencing issues include:
- 10500 block to the 11000 block of Carlton Road
- 113 Easy Street closed after flooding
- Georgia Avenue and South 13th Street is closed after a gas leak
- Selvitz Road and St. James Drive
- Northwest East Torino Parkway and West Midway Road
- Northeast Floresta Drive and Ardsley Drive
- 2400 block of Trowbridge Road
- Midway Road westbound closed at Torino Parkway
- Southwest Savona Boulevard and Southwest California Boulevard
7:05 p.m. - Surf’s up!
At least one surfer took advantage of the big swells at South Beach in Fort Pierce Wednesday evening, reported Jon Santucci. Up the shore at Jetty Park, onlookers gathered to watch the waves.
5:57 p.m. - Weather conditions to deteriorate overnight
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties Wednesday evening, with conditions expected to deteriorate overnight, according to the National Weather Service’s Melbourne office.
The entire Treasure Coast is also under tornado and flood watches.
5:15 p.m. - Additional power outages reported
There are approximately 220 FPL customers currently without power in St. Lucie County. Power has been restored to about 830. The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority has reported no outages.
4:25 p.m. - Tornado watch reissued
The National Weather Service’s Melbourne office has issued a tornado watch for all of St. Lucie County through 1 a.m. Thursday. The previous watch ends at 5 p.m. Isolated wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour are possible, as is half-inch-sized hail.
More than 3.9 million people are affected by the watch, which stretches from Volusia to Martin counties.
3:45 p.m. - Cleveland Clinic closes ambulatory offices
Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, which encompasses a number of St. Lucie County facilities, will close its ambulatory clinics through 10 a.m. Thursday. Ambulatory surgery centers will reopen at noon.
The St. Lucie West Emergency Department will stay open.
Click here for a complete listing of area closures and cancellations.
3:30 p.m. - Relatively few power outages reported
There are approximately 70 FPL customers currently without power in St. Lucie County. Power has been restored to about 800. The Fort Pierce Utilities Authority continues to report no outages.
2:54 p.m. - Kids play seaside despite storm warning
The threat of tropical storm-force winds isn’t keeping some children from playing at the South Causeway Beach in Fort Pierce, observed reporter Jon Santucci.
2:12 p.m. - Shelters combined, bus service suspended
Due to low turnout at the Fort Pierce Central High School emergency shelter, those patrons have been relocated to Fort Pierce Westwood Academy, county spokesperson Erick Gill said in a statement.
In addition, St. Lucie’s Area Regional Transit bus service was suspended at 2 p.m. and will remain closed through Thursday.
Waste Pro and the St. Lucie County Landfill will decide hours of operation at 5 a.m. Thursday.
2:02 p.m. - North Causeway docks flooded
Though not uncommon, the Indian River Lagoon has flooded two of four docks and the boat ramps at North Causeway Island Park in Fort Pierce, reports editor Cheryl Smith.
1:31 p.m. - Unmoored in the storm
An unmoored sailboat crashed into the south side of the North Causeway Bridge in Fort Pierce before drifting away, dragging its anchor, reported Laurie K. Blandford.
1:14 p.m. - Some high school football games moved
The impacts of Hurricane Ian are being felt along the Treasure Coast and for high school sports, there won’t be much action.
Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties are all off from school Wednesday and Thursday, which will force the postponements of all extracurricular activities due to the anticipated heavy rainfall and tropical storm-force winds for the area.
St. Lucie County schools are anticipated to resume on Friday.
1 p.m. - EOC still operating at level 2
The St. Lucie Emergency Operations Center remains at a level 2, said Public Safety Director Rangel Guerrero. Flooding is still a top concern. No other shelters are expected to open, and no evacuations are expected.
County officials continue to urge residents to review their hurricane preparedness plans and have kits on standby with medication, first aid, nonperishable goods and water.
Noon - Rum runners on the jetty
Marci and Carey Whitley were among the constant flow of people late Wednesday morning walking the south jetty at the Fort Pierce Inlet ahead of Hurricane Ian.
The Whitleys live along Indian River Drive in Fort Pierce and came to Jetty Park because they wanted to see the waves. They typically don’t have flooding issues during storms because their home is on high ground.
The couple sipped their respective pink jetty rum runners in brown paper bags they just picked up from the nearby Jetty Lounge dive bar.
“We’re crazy for even drinking at this time of the day,” she said.
Dozens of curious people — many with those same rum runners — strolled the paved jetty as waves crashed over the walkway. The swell produced waves south of the jetty, which typically happens only during storms.
When a rain band arrived, they would run from the beach and take cover under the pavilions or in their vehicles before it subsided, before venturing back out to the beach.
11:30 a.m. - Tropical storm warning still in effect
St. Lucie County remains under a tropical storm warning, according to the National Weather Service office in Melbourne.
Coastal areas can expect tropical storm-force winds of 35-45 miles per hour through Thursday afternoon, with wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour possible. Localized storm surge may potentially reach 2 feet above ground through Friday evening.
Inland, people are advised to “prepare for considerable wind damage.”
10:20 a.m. - Winds hit Indian River Lagoon
The waters of the Indian River Lagoon are choppy in St. Lucie Village, where reporter Laurie K. Blandford captured wind jostling stop signs.
10:17 a.m. - Wet roads in Fort Pierce
There’s minor flooding on Old Dixie Highway in Fort Pierce, en route to St. Lucie Village, as witnessed by reporter Laurie K. Blandford.
9:28 a.m. - Make-your-own sand bags
Sports reporter Jon Santucci saw people visiting Martin Luther King Jr. Dreamland Park in Fort Pierce to assemble sand bags in case of flooding.
8:30 a.m. - Emergency shelters to open
Can’t see the Google Map above? Click here to view Treasure Coast emergency shelters.
St. Lucie county officials announced select emergency shelters in St. Lucie County, including those for people who require medical support (often called “special needs shelters”), would open at 10 a.m.:
- General population: Fort Pierce Central High School, 4101 S. 25th St., Fort Pierce
- For transportation, call 772-460-HELP (4357), from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday
- People who need medical support: Havert L. Fenn Center, 2000 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce
- For transportation, call 772-462-1778 and press 1 for reservations, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday
- People with pets: Fort Pierce Westwood Academy, 1801 Panther Lane, Fort Pierce.
8:13 a.m. - Cloudy, quiet at Fort Pierce jetty
Under gray skies, waves crash on the rocks at the Jetty Park in Fort Pierce. Few people are at the popular storm-watching spot, according to sports reporter Jon Santucci.
4:58 a.m. - Tornado watch issued
The National Weather Service’s Melbourne office issued a tornado watch for all of St. Lucie County through 5 p.m. While no hail is expected, the agency warned of likely tornadoes and isolated wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour.
More than 12.2 million people are affected by the watch, which stretches from Orlando to Miami and as far west as Sarasota.