St. Lucie County commissioner disputes death toll rumors: "We have six confirmed deaths"

Larry Leet has lived in Florida’s St. Lucie County for more than 40 years, but he’s never seen anything like the damage caused by the tornadoes unleashed by Milton, he told CNN Friday.

Leet said the county had tornadoes “literally from one end to the other.” At least nine tornadoes hit the county on Wednesday afternoon and early evening, according to a CNN analysis of National Weather Service warnings.

The tornadoes carved a path of destruction through a golf community and a mobile home community, with the majority of the county’s deaths happening at the latter, Leet said.

“We have six confirmed deaths, and I would like to comment that there (are) people circulating that there’s 20 and 35 deaths out there – that is not confirmed and is not true,” he said.

The six people dead in St. Lucie County are among 16 across Florida who have died as a result of Milton, according to a CNN tally.

Leet said roughly 30 people are hospitalized from injuries sustained during the storm, and search and rescue efforts have concluded.

“We don’t believe there’s any more individuals out there,” he said.