COCOA BEACH, Fla. – An EF-1 tornado touched down in Cocoa Beach as bands from Hurricane Milton swept through the area this week, according to the National Weather Service.
According to a preliminary survey, the tornado started out as a waterspout before moving onto land near the Royale Towers, crossed A1A and moved west-northwest along S. Banana River Boulevard.
It then went into the Banana River near St. Croix Avenue and damaged some homes there. There were multiple buildings impacted by the tornado.
[RELATED: Tornado crosses I-75 in South Florida as Hurricane Milton supercells sweep state]
NWS said the tornado had wind gusts of 85 to 95 mph.
Brevard County Fire Rescue said power lines were down across North Atlantic Avenue and South Banana River Boulevard.
There were 126 tornado warnings issued across the state as Hurricane Milton made its approach. It is the second-highest number of tornado warnings issued in the U.S. within a single calendar day, surpassed only by the 2011 Super Outbreak that impacted Alabama.
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Dozens of tornadoes spawned across Florida.
Five people were killed when a tornado hit in the Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on the Atlantic Coast, authorities said.
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