- May 2, 2024
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The following is an adapted news release from the city of Palm Coast:
The National Weather Service has confirmed it was a tornado that hit the Indian Trails neighborhood of Palm Coast on Saturday night, Dec. 14, and has given the tornado a preliminary rating of a strong EF1 with evidence of winds as high as 110 mph.
The tornado was 25-75 yards wide; length has yet to be determined.
City damage assessment teams have completed their assessments.
In all, 171 houses were affected:
· 7 houses destroyed
· 22 houses with moderate damage
· 142 houses partially damaged
The value of the damage is estimated at $5,355,611.
A tornado warning was issued at 6:56 p.m., and Flagler County Emergency Management issued a Code Red warning at 6:58 p.m.
The first call reporting the tornado came in to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office dispatch at approximately 7 p.m.
The heaviest damage is to houses and property in the B Section in the Indian Trails neighborhood, but damage also occurred in the C Section and F Section. No injuries were reported.
Additionally, power lines were down, power poles and trees were broken or blown down, and many roads were impassable. Power has been restored to most households, and there are no reported problems with water or sewer service.
There is still a large amount of debris and there may be downed lines, and all members of the public are urged to use caution in affected areas.
Roads have been reopened. The public is asked to stay away from damaged areas unless they live there. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is providing a heavy law enforcement presence to discourage people from being in the affected areas unnecessarily.
The Palm Coast Fire Department and Flagler County Sheriff’s Office were assisted in the response by Flagler County Fire and Flagler County Emergency Management. City crews from Fire, Public Works, Building and Utility worked into the night to check for injuries, clear debris and assess damage, and then returned back to work early Sunday, Dec. 15.
Florida Power & Light also responded immediately and worked through the night to restore power; at one point, there were nearly 3,000 households without power.
The American Red Cross is serving the City in areas where needed, providing food and shelter assistance.
Anyone who experiences an injury in the aftermath of the storm and needs emergency assistance should call 911. To report other storm-related issues, the public should call the Sheriff's Office non-emergency dispatch number at 386-313-4911.
For a building- or code-related issue, call 386-986-3780 during regular City operating hours. For other issues, call Customer Service at 386-986-2360 during regular business hours. After hours, call 888-635-9806.
Contractors are already in Palm Coast neighborhoods seeking to assist with repairs and cleanup.
The City advises property owners to carefully consider the hiring of a contractor. Before you hire a contractor, ask to see a copy of his/her license and insurance.
Then call the Building Department at 386-986-3780 and verify the license. The Building Department is happy to search our database and the state to check for active licenses.
An unlicensed person may ask you to pull the permit or they try to convince you a permit is not required. A licensed contractor should always obtain the permit and never ask you to get it for them.
Any and all business cards, contracts and vehicles that advertise their business should always have a license number – it’s the law.
