Victor Linero was watching live coverage of Hurricane Milton when he spotted a tornado near his grandfather's home in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, Florida. In a panic, he urgently warned his grandfather, Alejandro Alonso, to seek shelter. Tragically, moments later, Linero heard his grandfather scream before the line went silent. The tornadoes struck the retirement community, causing extensive destruction and resulting in the deaths of Mr. Alonso, his girlfriend, and four others, despite Hurricane Milton being nearly 200 miles away in the Gulf of Mexico. The tornadoes, which occurred hours before the hurricane's winds were expected to arrive, devastated the community, destroying approximately 125 mobile homes and displacing many residents. Anita Perrotta, a resident, noted that while they had prepared for the hurricane, they did not anticipate the tornadoes would cause such damage. The community, home to both seasonal and permanent residents, had been closely monitoring the hurricane's path, believing the worst effects would be felt on the opposite coast. As the tornadoes wreaked havoc, family members frantically checked on their loved ones in Spanish Lakes. Mr. Alonso, a veteran and longtime postal worker, lived in a mobile home, making him particularly vulnerable. His grandson, Mr. Linero, rushed to the scene only to find his grandfather's trailer displaced and destroyed. Similarly, Brandi Smith lost contact with her mother, Debbie Kennedy, who had assured her she was safe. Tragically, rescuers later found Ms. Kennedy's body in the neighborhood. Community manager John Brennan reported that the destroyed mobile homes accounted for about 10 percent of the housing in Spanish Lakes. Residents in sturdier concrete homes also experienced fear as the tornadoes approached. Pat Pinette described the terrifying moment when her home vibrated under the tornado's force, while Frank Gormley was thrown from his recliner when his house was obliterated. Following the tornadoes, a search-and-rescue operation commenced, with officers marking cleared homes with a red "X." The extent of the destruction left many families in uncertainty about their loved ones' fates for over a day. Kelli King-Wolfcale, who spent Thursday searching for her 84-year-old mother, Sandra MacDonald, received the heartbreaking news that her mother had not survived. Many residents expressed disbelief at the unprecedented devastation that had struck their community.