Martin County updates: Hurricane Ian impacts Wednesday in Stuart, Jensen Beach, Palm City

TCPalm staff
·11 min read
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Editor's note: Here are live updates for Thursday, Sept. 29. 

TCPalm has staff across Stuart, Jensen Beach, Palm City, Port Salerno, Rio and more to provide updates on Hurricane Ian’s impact Wednesday to Martin County.

9:05 a.m.  Trees down in Stuart

Trees are down in the St. Lucie Crescents neighborhood of Stuart.  City crews are busy trying to clear the aftermath.

8:50 a.m. Vegetation blown near roads

U.S. 1 south of the Roosevelt Bridge to SE Monterey Road is lightly traveled and dry, unlike Wednesday when the roadway was slick from rain. Signs of blown down vegetation. Crews used heavy equipment to remove a downed palm tree in front of Martin County School District headquarters as downed palm fronds scattered in grass area in front of the building.

Crews used heavy equipment to remove a downed palm tree in front of MC School District headquarters as downed palm fronds scattered in grass area in front of the building
Crews used heavy equipment to remove a downed palm tree in front of MC School District headquarters as downed palm fronds scattered in grass area in front of the building

7:49 a.m. Stuart assessing damage

The city of Stuart was deploying crews early to determine the extent of damage across the city.

5:57 p.m. - Weather conditions to deteriorate overnight

There is a tropical storm warning in effect for the Treasure Coast 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. - Fewer power outages reported

There are approximately 390 FPL customers currently without power in Martin County. Power has been restored to about 3,600.

— Olivia McKelvey

4:40 p.m. - Fishing in the wind

Willie Davis, 63, of Lake Worth, and his son, Donell Davis, 41, were fishing off the Stuart Causeway about 4:40 p.m. as a strong wind blew north. They started their day at Blue Heron Bridge in Palm Beach County, where the elder Davis reported they caught a few blue runners and grunts.

“That’s about it, so that’s why we came up here,” Willie Davis said, noting they hadn’t caught anything to brag about. “Better than being stuck in the house all day.”

— Will Greenlee

4:25 p.m. - Tornado watch reissued

The National Weather Service’s Melbourne office has issued a tornado watch for all of Martin 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.

4:16 p.m. - Already dry

Unlike a few hours earlier, U.S. 1 near Southeast Monterey Road in Stuart is dry, reports Will Greenlee.

4 p.m. - Traffic light amid periodic showers

As showers fell on and off Wednesday in Palm City, Stuart and Port Salerno, most streets appeared passable and areas prone to flooding remained clear through the afternoon.

In Palm City near the St. Lucie River, Mapp Road, Southwest Cornell Avenue and All American Boulevard showed some pockets of pooled water but traffic, while light, moved along unimpeded from the effects of Hurricane Ian.

Roadways in Rocky Point, near the Manatee Pocket and along Old Dixie Highway in Port Salerno were clear Wednesday and traffic seemed lighter than usual for the afternoon.

— Melissa E. Holsman

3:45 p.m. - Cleveland Clinic closes ambulatory offices

Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, which encompasses a number of Martin County facilities, will close its ambulatory clinics, including urgent care clinics, through 10 a.m. Thursday. Ambulatory surgery centers will reopen at noon.

Click here for a complete listing of area closures and cancellations.

3:30 p.m. - Relatively few power outages reported

There are approximately 620 FPL customers currently without power in Martin County. Power has been restored to about 3,090.

— Olivia McKelvey

1:23 p.m. - Stuart sand bags now pick-up only

Stuart public works staff this morning were delivering sandbags to residents who live in the city limits by request, but now the sand bags only are available for pick-up at the public works garage at 407 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Stuart.

There is a limit of 10 per household, said city spokesperson Misti Guertin.

In unincorporated Martin County, garbage and recycling services are paused Wednesday and Thursday.

— Lina Ruiz

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.

Martin County schools will update later this week if school and athletic events will take place on Friday.

— Bryan Cooney

12:27 p.m. - Wind kicks up at Bathtub Beach

South winds are blowing at a steady 25 miles per hour at Bathtub Beach, estimates reporter Ed Killer. Onlookers crowd the gazebo and take photos of the wild surf.

12:01 p.m. - Overcast Jensen Beach

Reporter Ed Killer spots a “gnarly north drift” at Jensen Beach.

11:57 a.m. - Palm City flooding

Sea Captain Drive in Palm City is flooded, reports Ed Killer. Water spilled over onto sidewalks and lawns.

11:30 a.m. - Tropical storm warning still in effect

Martin County remains under a tropical storm warning, according to the National Weather Service office in Melbourne.

Coastal and inland areas can expect below tropical storm-force winds of 30-40 miles per hour, with wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour possible. Localized storm surge may potentially reach 2 feet above ground through early Saturday morning.

Inland, people are advised to “prepare for significant wind damage.”

11:27 a.m. - Tuesday night tornado?

Bobby Chanthavong, 34, of Martin County, tells TCPalm a tornado ripped off part of his roof. However, the National Weather Service confirmed only high winds had plagued the area.

11:27 a.m. - Park full of downed palm fronds

Palm fronds litter Hosford Park near Cove Road and Kanner Highway, reports Will Greenlee.

11:18 a.m. - Some Stuart eateries remain open

Stuart Coffee Company, located at 55 S.W. Flagler Ave., in Stuart, Fla., is pictured Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, as rain bands from Hurricane Ian arrive on the Treasure Coast.
Stuart Coffee Company, located at 55 S.W. Flagler Ave., in Stuart, Fla., is pictured Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, as rain bands from Hurricane Ian arrive on the Treasure Coast.

While schools and all Martin County government buildings were closed Wednesday in anticipation of what Hurricane Ian could bring to the area, that wasn’t the case everywhere.

Three Little Birds Cafe, in a plaza at U.S. 1 and Kanner Highway near downtown Stuart, was open and ready for diners.

“I think people want a place to eat, and I don’t think it’s going to be that bad over here on this coast,” owner Joseph Salzberg said. “I think that we’re going to have some people that are going to be coming from the west coast and they’re going to be staying in hotels, and they’re going to be hungry.”

— Will Greenlee 

10:5 a.m. - Body in the water

The body of a 34-year-old man was discovered Wednesday morning in about 10 inches of standing water in a residential area along Southwest Lost River Road, Martin County Sheriff’s officials reported.

Crime scene investigators are at the scene looking into the circumstances of the unidentified man’s death, according to Christine Christofek, a sheriff’s spokesperson.

“The man was said to be working on some construction early this morning,” she said via text. “There is no visible trauma to the victim.”

Reached Wednesday, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said the man had come to a house to do some construction work for the homeowner when it appeared he died of natural causes at the scene.

— Melissa E. Holsman

10:16 a.m. - From Maine to hurricane

Martin County is experiencing high tides and some rain, according to reporter Mauricio La Plante. He captured Maine tourist Dave Arsenault standing on a rocky shore.

9 a.m. - Emergency shelters remain closed

Can’t see the Google Map above? Click here to view Treasure Coast emergency shelters.

All 10 Martin County emergency shelters, including the one for people who require medical support (often called a “special needs shelter”), remain closed.

8:37 a.m. - Rough waves at Ross Witham Beach

Photographer Crystal Vander Weit captured white-capped waves sloshing the rocks at Ross Witham Beach.

8:15 a.m. - Empty plazas in dreary weather

Plazas such as Regency Square are sparsely populated as gray skies hover over Stuart, per reporter Will Greenlee.

8:13 a.m. - Wet roads in Stuart

Traffic is light on U.S. 1 in Stuart, as water collects in drainage areas north of Pomeroy Street, reports Will Greenlee.

7 a.m. - EOC now level 2 activation

The Martin County Emergency Operations Center is now at a level 2 activation, according to Emergency Management Director Sally Waite.

“Level two (entails) select staff that deal with issues such as flooding and high winds,” she said. “We don’t expect the severe weather to come in until around 1 o’clock this afternoon.”

In Stuart, public works staff are delivering sand bags by request to residents who live in the city limits, said city spokesperson Misti Guertin. There is a limit of 10 per household.

Residents can request sand bags at 772-600-1260, which is the same number to report flooding, Guertin said.

— Lina Ruiz

4:58 a.m. - Tornado watch issued

The National Weather Service’s Melbourne office has issued a tornado watch for all of Martin 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.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Hurricane Ian: Tropical storm warning for Martin County, Florida