A possible tornado struck a small Northern California city on Saturday, flipping vehicles, causing major damage, and leaving several people hospitalized.
A damage survey by the National Weather Service confirmed that an EF1 tornado struck Scotts Valley at 1:39 p.m. local time, with estimated peak winds of 90 mph.
"Emergency medical teams are focusing on those requiring urgent care, and we are closely monitoring the situation," police stated in the news release.
The tornado resulted in "substantial damage" across multiple areas, according to police.
By Saturday evening, over 8,800 utility customers in Santa Cruz County were without power, according to the utility tracking service PowerOutage.us.
Earlier on Saturday, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for San Francisco just before 6 a.m., but the warning was later canceled as no tornado formed in the area. This warning marked a significant event, as it was the first-ever tornado warning for San Francisco city and county since the beginning of reliable weather records in 1950, according to Nicole Sarment, a meteorologist with the weather service in the Bay Area. Despite the early warning, no tornado materialized, and the alert was lifted after further observations confirmed the absence of any tornado activity in the region.
California experiences an average of about 11 tornadoes annually, usually occurring in the fall and spring, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service confirmed the occurrence of the tornado through a combination of videos, photos, witness testimonies, and radar data. They explained that, while initial assessments had been made, a survey team would be deployed to the affected area to conduct a more thorough investigation. This additional survey would help determine the exact strength of the tornado and provide a more detailed analysis of the damage it caused.
In Scotts Valley, authorities announced that the Mount Hermon Road area would likely remain closed at least until Sunday morning while they assess the extent of the damage caused by the tornado. Police officials stated in several Facebook posts that during this time, Pacific Gas & Electric crews would be focused on repairing damaged infrastructure and restoring electricity to affected areas. The closure was necessary to ensure safety while the damage was evaluated and repairs were underway. Emergency teams and local authorities were continuing to monitor the situation closely to address any ongoing issues.
