Wedding venue in Blue Ridge, GA for couples in Port St. Lucie, FL

As of October 2024, the average solar panel system costs $2.26/W including installation in Port Saint Lucie, FL. For a 5 kW installation, this comes out to about $11,306 before incentives, though prices range from $9,610 to $13,002. After the federal tax credit, the average price drops by 30%.

You'll probably pay even less than what we show here. It doesn't include the federal ITC or Port Saint Lucie, FL state incentives, which will lower this price by at least a few thousand dollars.

It may seem obvious but larger solar panel systems cost more money. We use cost per watt ($/W) so you can easily compare quotes, controlling for slight variations in system size.

While a 5 kW system will only cost you $11,306 in Port Saint Lucie, FL, doubling the system size effectively doubles the price, so you'll pay about twice that for a 10 kW system. The higher the price tag, though, the more you'll get back as a credit towards your federal tax bill.

Average solar cost by system size in Port Saint Lucie, FL

If you can't shell out $11,306 in cash to pay for solar, don't sweat it. You can choose to finance your system with a loan instead. Some companies even offer $0-down loans so you can start saving on day one if your loan payments are less than your current electric bills. Just keep in mind that your long-term savings will be lower with a loan due to interest rates.

The numbers we're showing are averages. The price you'll pay for solar depends on many factors unique to you and your home:

If you're looking for solar companies in FL, here are some popular suggestions:

Solar is a major purchase, but you can get the price tag to come down a bit by being an educated shopper. Taking advantage of incentives and rebates and shopping around for quotes can bring down your cost of solar in Port Saint Lucie, FL.

As long as your federal tax bill is high enough, you can take advantage of the federal tax credit in Port Saint Lucie, FL. This incentive allows you to apply 30% of your solar installation and equipment costs toward your federal tax bill. If the amount exceeds your tax bill, you can roll over the remaining credit to the following year. Many states also offer great local incentives and rebates.

Comparing multiple solar quotes can save you money through competition and transparency. Each additional quote you receive for solar will help you find the right solar panel system at the right price.

This is where EnergySage can help. With funding from the Department of Energy’s SunShot Prize, EnergySage opened the country’s first (and now the largest) marketplace for home solar panel installations. We gather custom solar quotes from local installers on your behalf and put them in an easy-to-compare format. When you compare quotes for solar panels on the EnergySage Marketplace, you can expect to see prices up to 20% lower than if you work with a single solar company.

TAMPA, Fla. − Hurricane Milton howled across the Florida Panhandle on Thursday, tearing a path of destruction from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic as it flooded neighborhoods, destroyed homes, tore the roof off a major sports venue and toppled a massive crane into an office building.

In downtown Tampa early Thursday, fierce winds tore down traffic lights, ripped signs out of the ground, and sent construction barricades scudding across the wet pavement. Milton’s winds also ripped off plywood meant to keep the storm out, and a portion of a downtown building’s brick facade collapsed onto N. Florida Avenue, partially blocking the road.

Milton made landfall late Wednesday on the state's western coast as a Category 3 hurricane amid a flurry of tornadoes it spawned. The system was exiting the state early Thursday near Cape Canaveral, still at Category 1 hurricane strength driving winds of 85 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 a.m. update.

At least two deaths were reported at a retirement community following a suspected tornado in Fort Pierce on the state's east coast, NBC News reported, citing St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson. More than 3 million homes and businesses were in the dark by early Thursday, according to USA TODAY power outage data.

A flash flood emergency was in effect for Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater, the hurricane center said, after parts of the area were blasted with more than 16 inches of rain Wednesday.

The eye of the storm made landfall in Siesta Key, a barrier island off Sarasota about 60 miles south of the Tampa. Milton's powerful assault comes two weeks after Hurricane Helene slammed into the Florida coast on its way to devastating communities across seven states.

Developments

∎ Oil prices rose Thursday on a spike in fuel demand, the impact of Milton in Florida and concerns about potential supply disruptions in the Middle East amid heightened tensions between Israel and major oil producer Iran. The storm has already driven up demand for gasoline in the state, with about a quarter of fuel stations selling out of supplies, which has helped to support crude prices.

∎ Taylor Swift has donated $5 million to hurricane relief efforts for victims of Helene and Milton, the non-profit organization Feeding America announced.

Crane collapsed into Tampa Bay Times' office building

Officials reported late Wednesday that a crane collapsed near a building construction site in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the crane left a gaping hole in an office building that houses several businesses, including the newspaper. No injuries were immediately reported.

“The public is urged to continue to shelter in place” but avoid the area, the city of St. Petersburg said in a statement.

"We can confirm one crane cab in the upper section of the mast has fallen," said John Catsimatidis, the CEO of Red Apple Group, which is developing the skyscraper the Times reported. "We are working with city officials and others to assess the situation."

MLB stadium Tropicana Field damaged

Milton battered the Tampa Bay area with high winds and heavy rains after making landfall late Wednesday. St. Petersburg, Florida, officials confirmed that destructive winds damaged the roof at Tropicana Field, home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays. The ballpark was repurposed as a base camp for thousands of emergency responders as Florida braced for Milton. Footage from local television stations and photos shared on social media showed part of the stadium’s roof torn off amid high winds.

The domed stadium has been home to the Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998, though plans are in the works to replace it by 2028. It's among the smallest MLB stadiums by seating capacity, but Tropicana Field features a slanted roof designed at an angle in part to better protect it from hurricanes.

− Thao Nguyen, Eric Lagatta

Tornadoes rip through southwest Florida

Reported tornadoes tore through parts of southwest Florida on Wednesday, including in Collier County and Lee County, causing extensive damage across Fort Myers and Cape Coral.

North Fort Myers resident Scott Fincher was sitting on the lanai of his Pine Lakes community home with his family, waiting for Milton. As they waited, they passed the time watching the local news, which was reporting on the "tornado outbreak.”

Reporters then announced a tornado was headed into sister community Lake Fairways, which shares a boundary with Pine Lakes. That’s when Fincher knew: they had to hide.

Fincher immediately began moving everyone into the home: his wife, his sister-in-law and his dog. “Just as we were moving everybody in, that’s when it came through,” Fincher said, “and when I heard the rumbling.”

“It was a wall of black,” Fincher said. “It was just as black as could be . . . I felt fear. You could feel the ground shaking a little bit, the house and everything.”

− Kate Cimini, Fort Myers News-Press

Analysts: Hurricane Milton could cost insurers up to $100 billion

Hurricane Milton could result in losses of up to $100 billion for the global insurance industry, creating a surge in 2025 reinsurance prices that could boost some insurance companies' shares, analysts said Wednesday.

Milton, which slammed into Florida's already storm-blasted west coast Wednesday night, spawned at least 19 tornadoes and caused damage in numerous counties, destroying around 125 homes, most of them mobile homes, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

"At this point, it's too dangerous to evacuate safely, so you have to shelter in place and just hunker down," DeSantis said upon announcing the landfall.

Insured losses from Milton could range from $60 billion to $100 billion if the hurricane makes direct landfall in the densely populated area of Tampa, analysts at Morningstar DBRS said. A loss of $100 billion would put Milton on par with Katrina in 2005, they added, adding that insured losses would likely be "substantial but not catastrophic."

Contributing: Reuters

Hurricane Milton made landfall at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday near Siesta Key on Florida's West Coast and is traveling across the state before it exits on Florida's East Coast on Thursday.

Multiple suspected tornadoes touched down across the Treasure Coast, damaging homes and businesses. Streets became cluttered with fallen powerlines, trees and flipped vehicles.

Four fatalities were reported in the St. Lucie County Lakewood Park neighborhood of Spanish Lakes Country Club. Search-and-rescue missions were underway last night.

Here's the latest information regarding Milton's impacts Thursday on the Treasure Coast.

7:15 a.m. - Deaths confirmed in St. Lucie County

The St. Lucie County Medical Examiner has confirmed at least four deaths caused by two confirmed tornadoes Wednesday, according to a Thursday morning news release.

That came after St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson said Wednesday that there were "multiple fatalities" at Spanish Lakes Country Club Village.

In addition to Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, some of the areas hardest hit by suspected tornadoes Wednesday include Portofino Shores, Holiday Pines, Lakewood Park, South Florida Logistics Center 95, Sunnier Palms Park and Campground and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office garage, according to the Thursday morning news release.

7 a.m. - Strong winds to continue through Thursday evening

The Treasure Coast will continue with strong, gusty winds throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne, and conditions likely won't noticeably improve until the evening.

From Sebastian to Fort Pierce, 6-10 inches of rainfall was recorded in the last 48 hours, based on radar estimates. Martin County measured less, from under an inch to as high as 2.5 inches.

At 2:10 a.m. an 84 mph wind gust was recorded at Vero Beach Regional Airport, one of the top gusts on the Treasure Coast.

Around midnight, Treasure Coast International Airport measured a 60 mph wind gust

Around 5 a.m., there were sustained 34 mph winds with gusts as high as 62 mph at Witham Field airport in Stuart.

Hurricane warnings will continue until later in the day for St. Lucie and Indian River Counties. Martin County remains under a tropical storm warning.

The number and severity of tornadoes that touched down Wednesday on the Treasure Coast was unknown.

6:45 a.m. - 'Heartbreaking:' Good Samaritan helps tornado victims in Spanish Lakes

Doug Anderson of Lakewood Park said he saw a tornado Wednesday afternoon crossing Kings Highway and wanted to help those in its path. "I saw a semi knocked sideways, a truck knocked sideways," Anderson said. "I followed the wreckage into Spanish Lakes."

6 a.m. - Martin County curfew ends

A countywide curfew in Martin County ended at 6 a.m. Thursday.

However, public safety officials across the Treasure Coast still encourage people to remain at home and off the road, including after the winds abate Thursday, to allow emergency personnel and first responders time to perform their duties.

5:30 a.m. - Tens of thousands without power Thursday morning

After a day with numerous suspected tornadoes, tens of thousands of people on the Treasure Coast are waking up without power Thursday morning, as winds continue to batter the region.

As of 5:30 a.m., more than 96,000 Fort Pierce Utilities Authority and Florida Power & Light Co. customers were without power in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties.

Crews, including some assisting from out of state, worked throughout the day Wednesday to restore power to more than 90,000 in FPL's coverage area alone. However, as winds intensified Wednesday evening those crews had to pause their work and wait for conditions to become safe. They are expected to resume sometime Thursday.

4:00 a.m. - Martin County curfew remains in place until 6 a.m.

Martin County residents remain under a countywide curfew until 6 a.m. Sheriff's Department issued a countywide curfew 9 p.m. Wednesday because of the "significant damage" caused from multiple tornadoes in Martin County.

"This curfew is in place to protect our citizens and local businesses and prevent potential criminals from outside the area from taking advantage of our citizens during this vulnerable time, as well as to protect citizens from driving on roadways obstructed with debris and downed power lines," Sheriff William Snyder posted on the Sheriff's Office Facebook page.

No similar announcements have been issued from Indian River or St. Lucie counties.

3:45 a.m. - Power outages continue on Treasure Coast

Power outages continue as Hurricane Milton impacts the Treasure Coast. As of 3:45 a.m., 37,570 Florida Power & Light Co. customers in St. Lucie; 19,990 in Indian River; and 9,530 in Martin counties remain without power. An additional 11,163 Fort Pierce Utilities Authority customers in St. Lucie County are without power.

2:09 a.m. - Power outages caused by Hurricane Milton continues

Power outages continue across the Treasure Coast as winds from Hurricane Milton continue. At 2 a.m. Florida Power & Light Co. reports 42,230 of its 360,740 Treasure Coast customers were without power. This includes: 16,170 customers in Indian River County; 6,070 customers in Martin County; and 19,990 customers in St. Lucie County. Fort Pierce Utilities Authority reported 7,806 customers were without power.

1:13 a.m. - Wind picking up as Hurricane Milton crosses the state

Winds picked up at 1 a.m. on the Treasure Coast, as Hurricane Milton makes its way across the state. At 12:53, Vero Beach Regional Airport reported sustained winds at 47 mph, with 70 mph wind gusts. At the St. Lucie County International Airport, sustained winds are at 33 mph, with 62 mph wind gusts. At the Witham Field Airport in Stuart, sustained winds are at 38 mph, with wind gusts at 51 mph.

Colleen Wixon is the education reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers. Contact her at colleen.wixon@tcpalm.com.

Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com.

Wicker Perlis is TCPalm's Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com.

Jack Lemnus is a TCPalm enterprise reporter. Contact him at jlemnus@tcpalm.com or 772-409-1345.

Laurie K. Blandford

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — The first tornado confirmed on the Treasure Coast — of what will be many tornadoes here alone from Hurricane Milton — was rated an EF3 tornado with peak winds up to 155 mph.

The outbreak of tornadoes on Wednesday was unprecedented on the Treasure Coast, said Will Ulrich, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Melbourne. It was the largest outbreak of tornadoes his office has worked in its 35 years.

“This was a historic tornado outbreak in the Treasure Coast community,” Ulrich told TCPalm.

Weather officials on Friday focused on assessing the area of the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village community first because of at least six fatalities that happened there, he said.

They surveyed damage and found the tornado stayed on the ground for at least 13 miles, he said. It started south of Midway Road, hit the new warehouse on Orange Avenue near Rock Road and exited in Indian River County.

That’s “highly unusual” and “very rare” for a tornado to stay on the ground that long in Florida and from a tropical cyclone event, Ulrich said.

"It was a long-track tornado that had a large swath of EF2 damage, as well as periodic EF3 damage," Ulrich said.

EF2 damage specifically was found in the Spanish Lakes subdivision, he said, and EF3 damage to warehouses was found in the area of Orange Avenue and Rock Road.

According to the Enhanced Fujita Scale, EF2 winds are between 110 and 135 mph; EF3 winds are between 136 and 165 mph.

Along its path, the tornado damaged structures in the Creekside subdivision on Okeechobee Road, according to the NWS preliminary report. Many mobile and manufactured homes within the nearby Sunnier Palms Nudist Park and Campground suffered major damage or were destroyed.

It continued north-northeast over rural portions of St. Lucie County, parallel to Kings Highway, where it then strengthened to an EF3 tornado with peak winds up to 155 mph, according to the report. Two large warehouses on Orange Avenue had major damage with greater than half of the structure collapsed.

The tornado then traveled north through rural areas near Kings Highway, resulting in occasional significant structural damage and numerous downed trees and power lines, according to the report. It intersected subdivisions in the northern part of St. Lucie County, where multiple single-family homes in Holiday Pines and Portofino Shores near Lakewood Park experienced significant damage, then likely continued as an EF2 tornado with peak winds estimated between 110 mph and 125 mph.

The most prolific and extensive damage from the event was found in Spanish Lake Country Club Village, according to the report. Many mobile and manufactured homes were destroyed along the western edge of the community, where the tornado produced high-end EF2 winds between 125 mph and 135 mph, according to the report. An initial survey showed over 20 homes were tossed, even flipped, from their foundations.

Despite the extensive damage to the manufactured homes, nearly all concrete block structures in the community experienced relatively minor or moderate damage, according to the report.

"That's just one of what will end up being several tornadoes that impacted St. Lucie County," Ulrich said.

Ulrich expected to confirm more tornadoes in St. Lucie County, plus other tornadoes in Martin and Indian River counties, as officials continued to work Saturday and Sunday to assess damage and determine each tornado’s pattern and strength.

The National Weather Service issued 126 tornado warnings across the state, starting Wednesday morning and ending later that evening. That's the most ever issued in Florida in a single day, he said.

The NWS in Melbourne alone issued 42 tornado warnings for its coverage area, which includes Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Brevard and Okeechobee counties.

That's the second-most ever issued by the Melbourne office after Hurricane Irma in 2017 with 51 tornado warnings, Ulrich said. However, that storm spawned mostly EF1 tornadoes and a stray EF2 tornado — but no EF3 tornado.

Officials suspect at least 10 tornadoes touched down and caused damage across the five counties, said Cassie Leahy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

After conducting respective field surveys, they confirmed an EF1 tornado hit Cocoa Beach, to the north of the Treasure Coast, and an EF3 hit Palm Beach Gardens, to the south of the area. The Enhanced Fujita Scale begins at 0 and peaks at 5.

The highest wind gust reported across the Treasure Coast was 84 mph at 2:10 a.m. Thursday at Vero Beach Regional Airport, said Leahy, well after the Wednesday afternoon outbreak of suspected tornadoes.

“We had the tornadoes out ahead of the storm,” Leahy said, “and then we had the gusty winds from the storm, too.”

Treasure Coast peak wind gusts

Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures, including volunteer weather observers. Not all data listed is considered official.

Indian River County peak wind gusts

St. Lucie County peak wind gusts

Martin County peak wind gusts

Treasure Coast rainfall totals

Rainfall amounts on the Treasure Coast were fairly normal before they started to increase Tuesday because of the approaching storm, which then skewed the total to be above normal for the time period of Oct. 1-10, Leahy said.

The measurements were taken at different times on Thursday morning, reflecting total rainfall for the previous 48 hours. No official data was available for Stuart, but the NWS had a breakdown of unofficial sites in each county.

Vero Beach rainfall totals

Fort Pierce rainfall totals

Indian River County rainfall totals

St. Lucie County rainfall totals

Martin County rainfall totals

Source: National Weather Service in Melbourne

Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com.

This article is sponsored by Valencia at Riverland, a 55+ community in Port St. Lucie that offers an abundance of activities and amenities designed for the ultimate active adult lifestyle. Learn more…

Located a little more than halfway from Daytona Beach to Miami, Port St. Lucie offers a more relaxed feel than its much larger coastal counterparts, but it does so without asking residents to concede many of the same amenities!

Getting There

Port St. Lucie is located on Florida's east coast, right off I-95 and Florida's Turnpike, so getting there by car is a breeze.

If you are flying down, Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) is about 40 miles away and probably the best bet for most people. Depending on what airlines service your area, you might also want to check out Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB) which is about 60 miles away.

Cost of Living in Port St. Lucie

The cost of living in Port St. Lucie is about 1% below the national average, and it is actually about 4% lower than the average cost of living in Florida.

One major factor in an area's overall cost of living is home prices and, at least for now, Port St. Lucie has some of the most attractive home pricing in the state, at least when it comes to places you'd actually want to retire.

Port St. Lucie Healthcare

The largest hospital here is HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital, a 222-bed hospital that has been serving Florida's Treasure Coast community for more than 30 years. This facility offers a full range of services, including 24/7 emergency care in their “senior-friendly” emergency room. Another great option is the just slightly smaller 177- bed Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital on the west side of town which is actually where more of the 55+ communities are in Port St. Lucie.

Port St. Lucie Weather

Here’s a look at the average low and high temperatures in Port St. Lucie throughout the year:

Golf in Port St. Lucie

Port St. Lucie might just be the ideal location for people who love the game of golf! Here you will find 54 holes of golf at the PGA Golf Club, and more than a dozen other courses in the area.

Mets Spring Training Baseball

Another reason that Port St. Lucie is such a popular location is that the New York Mets call it home from February to March every year for their spring training. Coming out to see the big league squad during spring training can be an awesome experience, but residents also have the option to watch the Mets’ high class-A minor league affiliate play here in Port St. Lucie throughout the summer!

Port St. Lucie Area Beaches

As far as beach access is concerned, Port St. Lucie residents can either go north to Fort Pierce, or south to Jensen Beach. Hutchinson Island sits in between them. All in all, St. Lucie County has 21 miles of beaches. The county claims to have more public beach access points per square mile than any other coastal community in Florida.

With the exception of the Florida State Park beaches, all beaches in St. Lucie are free admission and free parking and many of them have amenities like bathrooms, pavilions, dune walkovers, and more.

History & Culture

While golf and baseball tend to take precedence in the Port St. Lucie area, there is no shortage of culture and history here either! The area contains attractions like the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens, a museum dedicated to the history of the US Navy SEALs, the Hallstrom Planetarium, and the A.E. Backus Gallery and Museum. There are also a plethora of cultural events hosted as the Port St. Lucie Civic Center every year!

Where to Retire in Port St. Lucie

Retirees have several fantastic 55+ options to consider in Port St. Lucie, but one of the newest ones is Valencia at Riverland:

Valencia Parc at Riverland, Port St. Lucie's newest 55+ community on Florida's East Coast, is the latest addition to Riverland's master-plan community layout. Valencia Parc offers an abundance of activities and amenities designed for the ultimate active adult lifestyle.

Check out Valencia Parc's 51,000 sq. ft. Wellness & Fitness center, featuring world-class facilities unlike any other. Enjoy tennis and pickleball courts at the 24-acre Sports & Racquet club, while a state-of-the-art gym offers top-tier equipment and instructor-led fitness classes. If you are looking to explore the arts, the Arts & Culture center at Riverland provides a range of different classes from painting to cooking, each sure to bring out your inner creativity. Connecting residents throughout Riverland are scenic greenways and the exclusive Paseo roadway, reserved for golf carts, making transportation convenient and enjoyable within the 4,000-acre master-planned community.