Three tornadoes hit central California in third such day since 1955
A rare tornado event occurred in California after three tornadoes touched down in Fresno and Merced counties on April 21, 2026. This was the third time since 1955 that three or more tornadoes have touched down in the National Weather Service (NWS) Hanford Office’s jurisdiction.
Roofing material twisted around a powerline after EF-1 tornado touched down near Atwater, California, on April 21, 2026. Credit: NWS Hanford
At least three tornadoes touched down in California on April 21 between 14:10 and 17:15 local time (LT). The National Weather Service (NWS) assessed damage near Biola and Clovis in Fresno County and west of Atwater in Merced County.
The first tornado was reported near Biola, touching down at around 14:10 LT, approximately 4 km (2.5 miles) south-southeast of Biola. It was rated an EF-0, with peak winds of 115 km/h (70 mph).
It covered a distance of around 45 m (148 feet) before lifting off at 14:12 LT and had a maximum path width of 4.5 m (15 feet). No damage associated with the tornado was found in the area.
Meanwhile, an EF-1 tornado touched down 13.7 km (8.5 miles) northeast of Clovis at 17:09 LT, with peak winds of 153 km/h (95 mph). The tornado covered a distance of approximately 69 m (226 feet) before lifting off 16.9 km (10.5 miles) northeast of Clovis at 17:16 LT. It had a maximum path width of approximately 805 m (2 641 feet).
The twister snapped two hardwood trees in half, flipped over a barn along the Tollhouse road, and damaged multiple trees and power lines, according to the NWS’ local storm reports.
The third tornado was reported in Merced County, touching down approximately 4.8 km (3 miles) west of Atwater at 15:30 LT. It was rated an EF-1 with peak winds of 177 km/h (110 mph). The twister covered a distance of around 91 m (299 feet) before lifting off 4.0 km (2.5 miles) west of Atwater at 15:39 LT.
This tornado lifted up debris and damaged roofs, leaving roofing material twisted on a power line approximately 30 m (100 feet) above a residence. Pieces of roofing were flung as far as 365 m (1 200 feet) from the house.
This triple tornado event is rare in California, as the state only sees a few tornadoes throughout the year. According to the NWS Hanford office, their forecast area has only had three days with three or more tornadoes occurring since records began in 1955.
References:
1 Public Information Statement – NWS – April 22, 2026
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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