EF-1 tornado hits Montebello, California — the strongest tornado to impact Los Angeles Metro area since March 1983
An EF-1 tornado hit the city of Montebello near Los Angeles, southern California on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, ripping roofs off buildings, throwing cars around, and injuring 1 person. This is the strongest tornado to impact the Los Angeles Metro area since March 1983, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. It is also the second tornado to hit California within 24 hours.
“A small tornado briefly touched down in an industrial park and warehouse district in Montebello in the late morning hours (LT) of Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Seventeen structures were damaged, eleven significantly. A tree was uprooted and a power pole was snapped with the transformer ripped off,” NWS said after conducting a survey.
The tornado primarily impacted an industrial warehouse and a commercial business district.
The roofing material of the warehouses consisted of wood frame structures with plywood and roofing material, which collapsed under the tornado’s force.
Almost a total roof collapse occurred in one of the buildings, and an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) unit was ejected from the top of the structure. Skylights were broken, and wood cross beams collapsed. Cars in the area were damaged, with windows shattered.
Additionally, a healthy pine tree with a one-foot trunk diameter was also uprooted in the area.
The tornado’s estimated peak wind was 177 km/h (110 mph), and its path length was 0.68 km (0.42 miles), with a path width of 46 m (50 yards). The tornado was on the ground for approximately 2 – 3 minutes, causing one injury in the area.
This is the second tornado to hit California within 24 hours.
On the evening of Tuesday, March 21, a narrow EF-0 tornado briefly touched down in the Sandpiper Village mobile home park in Carpinteria. It damaged around 25 mobile home units and there was minor tree damage to the cemetery adjacent to the mobile home park.
The tornado likely originated over the coastal waters as a waterspout and moved onshore, primarily impacting Sandpiper Village Mobile Home Park and a nearby greenhouse, NWS said.
Featured image credit: Raymond Rodriguez (stillshot)
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