As Southern California continues to battle the Franklin Fire, residents in the northern part of the Golden State experienced a rare weather phenomenon—a tornado.
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The Associated Press reported that the tornado hit the small town of Scotts Valley, located about 70 miles south of San Francisco, around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. The tornado was classified as an EF1, considerably a weaker form of tornado.
In a post on Facebook, the Scotts Valley Police Department reported numerous road closures following the tornado.
“Avoid Mount Hermon Drive! Multi-vehicle accident and multiple power lines down,” law enforcement officials stated. “The road is totally blocked in all directions in the city.”
In an update, the officials pointed out that all witnesses reported that it was not a traffic accident, but a possible tornado touching down near the area’s Target. It had thrown multiple cars off the road.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service (NWS) released a preliminary damage survey that revealed that the tornado lasted about five minutes and traveled southwest for about a mile. It was about 30 yards wide. Winds were also estimated to peak at around 90 miles per hour.
“A wide range of damage was observed,” NWS further revealed. “Including downed trees, power poles, and trees stripped of branches.”
The Scotts Valley Fire Protection District revealed four or five people were injured in the tornado. Although most people experienced minor to moderate injuries, two were taken to a nearby hospital.
One of the people who was injured was a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection battalion chief on duty. His vehicle was flipped over. He is expected to recover.
National Weather Service Issued First-Ever Tornado Warning in San Francisco, California, Over the Weekend
Hours before the tornado hit Scotts Valley, the NWS issued its first-ever tornado warning in San Francisco.
The warning was issued at around 6 a.m. local time. However, a tornado did not materialize.
Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the Weather Service based in Monterey, spoke to the Associated Press about the incident.
“This was the first-ever warning for a possible tornado in San Francisco,” Gass explained. “I would guess there wasn’t a clear signature on radar for a warning in 2005.”
Meteorologist Dalton Behringer also told the outlet, “The biggest thing that we tell people in the city is to put as many walls between you and the outside as possible.”