Two tornadoes confirmed in Southern California this week.
The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado blew through Montebello Wednesday and a tornado hit Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County Tuesday night.
The Associated Press reports that the Montebello tornado ripped through a line of commercial buildings, ripping off roofs from buildings and sending debris everywhere. At least 11 buildings have been red-tagged.
A tornado damages a building on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 in Montebello. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
The tornado spun up near the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Maple Avenue. One person was injured in the storm and taken to the hospital.
There is no “EF” rating on the Montebello tornado yet as damage teams are still assessing the debris radius.
For the tornado in Carpinteria, it was rated an EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. This means that the tornado had wind gusts up to 75 mph.
The Carpinteria tornado blew through Sandpiper Mobile Home Park around 5:45 p.m. Tuesday night. The storm damaged at least 25 mobile trailers and a minor tree damage nearby. One person was injured in the storm.
Both tornadoes come in the wake of SoCal’s 12th atmospheric system that brought snow, rain and wind to the region since Tuesday.
Tornadoes are rare in California. According to the National Weather Service, California averages about 11 tornadoes per year. They typically occur in spring and fall and tornado strength is ranged between EF0-EF3.
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