A tornado struck northern California’s Scotts Valley on Saturday afternoon, injuring four people, local officials said. The tornado overturned several vehicles, downed power lines, and caused extensive damage. Scotts Valley is about 55 miles (89 km) south of San Francisco.
Nature and Effects of Tornadoes:
The National Weather Service (NWS) rated the tornado an EF1, which falls into the weak category of tornadoes. The duration of the tornado was about five minutes. The tornado touched down at 1:39 pm (local time) on Saturday, police said.
The tornado had sustained winds of about 90 mph (145 km/h), the weather service said. The tornado was 30 yards (27 m) in diameter and had traveled about a quarter of a mile (400 m) before becoming quiet.
Repairs and cleaning works:
After the tornado, police closed roads and began repair work. Also, cleaned the debris from the incident site.
First Tornado Warning in San Francisco:
The first tornado warning was issued for the city of San Francisco early Saturday morning before the tornado struck. A tornado warning was issued for San Francisco and northern San Mateo County at 6:00 a.m. (local time).
The warning prompted more than 1 million residents in San Francisco and suburbs to “get to safety now” via mobile alert. Wind gusts at the time were 60 mph (96 km/h). Minutes later, NWS Bay Area said the tornado threat had ended and the storm had moved out of town.
Background on other natural disasters:
San Francisco last experienced a tornado in 2005, but there was no warning at the time. A tornado warning was issued in San Mateo County in 2011.
Strong storms Friday night before the tornado downed trees, knocked out power, and caused damage in several locations. As of Sunday, more than 50,000 customers along the northern and central California coast were still without power.
Coastal Alert Warning:
NWS Bay Area advised citizens to stay away from beaches on Saturday and Sunday. A coastal flood alert was said to be in effect until Monday.
The tornado alert in San Francisco followed a tsunami warning a week earlier. A tsunami warning was issued for northern California and southern Oregon due to the 7.0 magnitude earthquake. However, it was later cancelled and no injuries were reported.
