Los Angeles sees strongest tornado in 40 years
The EF-1 twister touched down in a Montebello warehouse district just after 11 a.m. and wreaked havoc over nearly a half-mile path for about 2 to 3 minutes before dissipating, according to the National Weather Service.
LOS ANGELES – What officials have described as the strongest tornado to strike the Los Angeles metro area in 40 years ripped through an industrial park Wednesday morning, injuring at least one person and causing damage to several buildings.
The EF-1 twister touched down in a Montebello warehouse district just after 11 a.m. and wreaked havoc over nearly a half-mile path for about 2 to 3 minutes before dissipating, according to the National Weather Service.
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Tornado causes damage in Montebello, CA
New video shows a tornado causing damage in Montebello, CA.
Tornado spotted in Commerce, CA
Severe storms moved through the Los Angeles area Wednesday. Onlookers spotted a tornado causing damage within the Commerce area.
Images from FOX 11 Los Angeles' SkyFOX helicopter showed multiple cars that were damaged and roofs torn from buildings. In all, an NWS storm survey team found 17 structures with at least some damage, 11 of them with significant damage.
One building lost nearly its entire roof with its air conditioning unit tossed from the top of the building, and a nearby power pole was snapped in half with the transformer blown off, the NWS said. One person suffered minor injuries.
NWS Los Angeles: Damaging, high-end EF-1 tornado hit L.A. County
NWS Los Angeles Meteorologist Ariel Cohen provides an update on the rare EF-1 tornado that tore through Montebello, California on Wednesday.
NWS survey meteorologists estimated the peak winds of the tornado at 110 mph, rating an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
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Tornado hits Los Angeles County warehouse
A tornado tore apart buildings in Montebello, California which is southeast of downtown Los Angeles. FOX 11 Los Angeles took aerial shots of a building with roof damage.
‘Are you guys OK?’
Tony Salinas said he and his wife spotted the funnel cloud just before debris started raining down.
"It looked like a funnel cloud," Salinas told FOX Weather's Max Gorden. "Then, it just started getting more intense. That’s when … I saw the debris just come out of nowhere and just started falling everywhere. So, I told my wife, ‘We better get out of here.’"
MONTEBELLO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 22: An aerial view of roof damage after a rare confirmed tornado touched down and ripped up building roofs in a Los Angeles suburb on March 22, 2023 in Montebello, California. Another Pacific storm has been pounding California with heavy rain, high winds, and snow in higher elevations. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Montebello, CA - March 22: An employee who was inside the Royal Paper Box Company when the roof was torn off during a strong microburst -- which some witnesses dubbed a possible tornado -- views his damaged car at the scene where one person injured nearby and heavily damaged several cars and buildings, including the roof of the Royal Paper Box Company in Montebello Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Five buildings have been damaged and one has been red-tagged. Video from the scene showing portions of rooftops being ripped off industrial structures and debris swirling in the air. The National Weather Service on Tuesday night issued a brief tornado warning in southwestern Los Angeles County, but it was allowed to expire after about 15 minutes when weather conditions eased. There was no such warning in place late Wednesday morning when the powerful winds hit Montebello, near the area of Washington Boulevard and Vail Avenue. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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MONTEBELLO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 22: An aerial view of roof damage after a possible rare tornado touched down and ripped up building roofs in a Los Angeles suburb on March 22, 2023 in Montebello, California. Another Pacific storm has been pounding California with heavy rain, high winds, and snow in higher elevatio. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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MONTEBELLO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 22: An aerial view shows roof damage after a possible rare tornado touched down in a Los Angeles suburb on March 22, 2023 in Montebello, California. Another Pacific storm has been pounding California with heavy rain, high winds, and snow. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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MONTEBELLO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 22: An aerial view of roof damage after a possible tornado touched down and ripped up building roofs in a Los Angeles suburb with the Los Angeles skyline in the distance on March 22, 2023 in Montebello, California. Another Pacific storm has been pounding California with heavy rain, high winds, and snow. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Montebello, CA - March 22: A man helps a tow truck driver tow his car with a rear-window blown out and other damage following a strong microburst -- which some witnesses dubbed a possible tornado -- at the scene where one person injured nearby and heavily damaged several cars and roofs of several buildings Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Five buildings have been damaged and one has been red-tagged. Video from the scene showing portions of rooftops being ripped off industrial structures and debris swirling in the air. The National Weather Service on Tuesday night issued a brief tornado warning in southwestern Los Angeles County, but it was allowed to expire after about 15 minutes when weather conditions eased. There was no such warning in place late Wednesday morning when the powerful winds hit Montebello, near the area of Washington Boulevard and Vail Avenue. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Montebello, CA - March 22: Crews start to clean up debris after a strong microburst -- which some witnesses dubbed a possible tornado -- heavily damaged several cars and buildings, including the roof of the Royal Paper Box Company, shown in photo, in Montebello Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Video from the scene showing portions of rooftops being ripped off industrial structures and debris swirling in the air. The National Weather Service on Tuesday night issued a brief tornado warning in southwestern Los Angeles County, but it was allowed to expire after about 15 minutes when weather conditions eased. There was no such warning in place late Wednesday morning when the powerful winds hit Montebello, near the area of Washington Boulevard and Vail Avenue. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Montebello, CA - March 22: Insurance adjusters view damage to cars and the roof of the Royal Paper Box Company that was torn off during a strong microburst -- which some witnesses dubbed a possible tornado -- at the scene where one person injured nearby and heavily damaged several cars and buildings Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Five buildings have been damaged and one has been red-tagged. Video from the scene showing portions of rooftops being ripped off industrial structures and debris swirling in the air. The National Weather Service on Tuesday night issued a brief tornado warning in southwestern Los Angeles County, but it was allowed to expire after about 15 minutes when weather conditions eased. There was no such warning in place late Wednesday morning when the powerful winds hit Montebello, near the area of Washington Boulevard and Vail Avenue. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Montebello, CA - March 22: Crews start to clean up debris after a strong microburst -- which some witnesses dubbed a possible tornado -- which injured one person and heavily damaged several cars and buildings, including the roof of the Royal Paper Box Company, shown in photo, in Montebello Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Five buildings have been damaged and one has been red-tagged. Video from the scene showing portions of rooftops being ripped off industrial structures and debris swirling in the air. The National Weather Service on Tuesday night issued a brief tornado warning in southwestern Los Angeles County, but it was allowed to expire after about 15 minutes when weather conditions eased. There was no such warning in place late Wednesday morning when the powerful winds hit Montebello, near the area of Washington Boulevard and Vail Avenue. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Montebello, CA - March 22: A pickup bed liner is lodged into a tree outside the Royal Paper Box Company, where the roof was torn off during a strong microburst -- which some witnesses dubbed a possible tornado -- at the scene where one person injured nearby and heavily damaged several cars and buildings, including the roof of the Royal Paper Box Company in Montebello Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Five buildings have been damaged and one has been red-tagged. Video from the scene showing portions of rooftops being ripped off industrial structures and debris swirling in the air. The National Weather Service on Tuesday night issued a brief tornado warning in southwestern Los Angeles County, but it was allowed to expire after about 15 minutes when weather conditions eased. There was no such warning in place late Wednesday morning when the powerful winds hit Montebello, near the area of Washington Boulevard and Vail Avenue. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Montebello, CA - March 22: A security guard views damage to cars and the roof of the Royal Paper Box Company that was torn off during a strong microburst -- which some witnesses dubbed a possible tornado -- at the scene where one person injured nearby and heavily damaged several cars and buildings Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Five buildings have been damaged and one has been red-tagged. Video from the scene showing portions of rooftops being ripped off industrial structures and debris swirling in the air. The National Weather Service on Tuesday night issued a brief tornado warning in southwestern Los Angeles County, but it was allowed to expire after about 15 minutes when weather conditions eased. There was no such warning in place late Wednesday morning when the powerful winds hit Montebello, near the area of Washington Boulevard and Vail Avenue. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Montebello, CA - March 22: An inspector views damage and debris after a strong microburst -- which some witnesses dubbed a possible tornado -- which injured one person and heavily damaged several cars and buildings, including the roof of the Royal Paper Box Company, shown in photo, in Montebello Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Five buildings have been damaged and one has been red-tagged. Video from the scene showing portions of rooftops being ripped off industrial structures and debris swirling in the air. The National Weather Service on Tuesday night issued a brief tornado warning in southwestern Los Angeles County, but it was allowed to expire after about 15 minutes when weather conditions eased. There was no such warning in place late Wednesday morning when the powerful winds hit Montebello, near the area of Washington Boulevard and Vail Avenue. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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Another eyewitness got choked up as he described surveying the aftermath of a warehouse that was damaged by the twister.
"I ran behind, to the back of the warehouse, and asking them, ‘Are you guys OK?’ and they said, ‘Yes. We are OK, OK," he said. "That’s the most important thing, man – to survive, to be alive – and we’ll be all right."
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California business owner recalls terrifying moments during reported tornado
A Montebello business owner tells FOX Weather correspondent Max Gorden he’s lucky to be alive after a tornado ripped through the California city.
It was the second tornado to hit Southern California this week as yet another deadly atmospheric river-fueled storm struck the state.
NWS officials said an EF-0 tornado touched down in southeast Santa Barbara County on Tuesday evening, damaging 25 mobile homes. Officials found it had winds of up to 75 mph.
Montebello business damaged by strongest tornado to hit L.A. County in 40 years
Niky's Sports Founder Niky Orellana recounts the moments when a tornado ripped through the family-owned business warehouse and caused significant damage to the building.
All of these storms were part of the latest deadly atmospheric river to hit California.
How rare are Los Angeles tornadoes?
According to data from NOAA, there have only been 10 confirmed tornadoes reported in Los Angeles County since 2000.
Officials at the National Weather Service said Wednesday's tornado was the strongest to hit the Los Angeles Metro area since March 1, 1983, when an F-2 tornado struck near the Convention Center, damaging 50 buildings and injuring 30 people.
EF-1 tornado confirmed to hit L.A. County, strongest to hit area in 40 years
NWS confirmed the tornado in Montebello near Los Angeles, CA was an EF-1 tornado, the strongest tornado to hit Los Angeles metro area since 1983.
The last time a twister hit Los Angeles County was Sept. 9, 2021, near the town of Llano, about 40 miles northeast of Los Angeles, according to NOAA data. The weak tornado, which may have been a landspout, was rated EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. It developed near the community of Lake Los Angeles. No damage was reported.
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The last confirmed tornado in the Los Angeles metro happened Dec. 12, 2014, in the View Park area, according to NOAA’s data. It damaged the roof of an apartment complex and two homes. A steel billboard also sustained damage. It was rated an EF-0.
The NOAA data showed there hasn’t been a tornado in Los Angeles County in March since 1992, when an F-1 twister with 100-mph winds hit the El Sereno district of Los Angeles on March 20. About 10 homes were damaged.