IRLON captured vital data during Hurricane Milton’s passage across Florida. The Treasure Coast region experienced the most severe impacts on October 9, 2024, hours before Milton’s eye made landfall. A series of powerful tornadoes spawned by the hurricane’s outer bands struck the area, including a particularly destructive EF-3 tornado that struck St. Lucie and Indian River Counties. With peak winds reaching 155 mph, this tornado carved a 21-mile path in just 31 minutes, passing near the IRL-VB station, which recorded wind gusts of 61 mph.
On the morning of October 10th, as Hurricane Milton’s eye crossed the northern portion of the IRLON network, 7 out of 13 stations recorded wind gusts exceeding 60 mph. The eye’s passage is clearly reflected in the wind data at both IRL-BR and IRL-TS. Wind speeds abruptly dropped around 04:00, characteristic of the calm that often accompanies the center of a hurricane. This lull was followed by a sharp increase in wind speeds in the subsequent hour as the hurricane’s outer winds resumed with renewed intensity. In addition to these fluctuations in wind speed, there was a marked shift in wind direction.
The severe storms generated by the outer bands of Hurricane Milton brought heavy rainfall to parts of the IRLON network. The highest accumulations were recorded at IRL-LP and IRL-TS, with over 6.5 inches of total daily rainfall on October 9th. Much of the region was already saturated from previous rainfall, and the intense downpour over a short period resulted in widespread flooding across the area.
The influx of freshwater triggered a substantial flush throughout much of the network. For example, this freshwater pulse can be seen at the IRL-SB, IRL-VB, and IRL-LP stations, where salinity levels dropped sharply. As the freshwater releases have slowed, salinity levels have been steadily rising following the storm.
The real-time data collected by IRLON is essential for understanding the lagoon’s response to extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, and their long-term impacts on the ecosystem. This information is invaluable for guiding future conservation efforts and resilience planning.
To access IRLON data and find out more, visit: irlon.org
