Tornado in Oxnard damages a dozen structures; no injuries reported
Tornado reported in Oxnard
A National Weather Service damage assessment team has confirmed a weak tornado occurred in Oxnard, California on Thursday.
OXNARD, Calif. - A weak tornado touched down in Oxnard on Thursday as an atmospheric river drenched much of Southern California.
Areas across the region are cleaning up on Friday after the weather caused flooding, mudslides and debris flows.
What we know:
The tornado hit Oxnard on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service, though the exact time was unclear. The tornado hit several trailer parks in southeast Oxnard, according to the NWS' Ariel Cohen.
Cohen called the tornado "weak," with wind speeds between 75 and 90 mph, though the exact wind speeds will be determined sometime on Friday.
The tornado traveled from the Country Club Mobile Estates to the Ocean-Aire Mobile Estates, traveling about a half mile, according to Cohen.
No injuries were reported, but there was damage to about 12 trailers in the path of the tornado.
By the numbers:
Tornadoes in Ventura County are extremely rare, dating back as far as 1950.
How rare are tornadoes in Ventura County?
A weak tornado touched down in Oxnard on Thursday. As FOX 11's Chief Meteorologist Adam Krueger points out, Ventura County averages only about one tornado every 10 years going back to 1950.
Since 1950, Ventura County has seen just seven reported tornadoes, including Thursday's. Los Angeles County has reported 49 tornadoes in that same timeframe, and Orange County has reported 31.
FOX 11's Chief Meteorologist Adam Kreuger said that "that's kind of the nature of tornado stats. Where you have a more dense population, you're going to naturally see more reports because there are more people to see it."
The seven tornadoes since 1950 averages out to just about one every 10 years.
What they're saying:
Residents shocked
"The windows started to shake, the walls started to shake, and it literally felt like something was trying to lift the house," said resident Christine Smith. "It was really scary and sounded like a freight train. This is Oxnard. This isn't the Midwest. We're not supposed to have tornadoes."
Tornado in Oxnard damages several homes
A tornado ripped through parts of Oxnard on Thursday as Southern California was hammered by a powerful storm. Several homes were damaged, but thankfully no one was reported injured.
"Be weather ready"
Ariel Cohen with the National Weather Service said that while tornadoes aren't common in the area, residents should still be prepared, especially if they hear about potential for tornadoes in the forecast.
"This is a situation where while [tornadoes] are infrequent compared to portions of Tornado Alley, such as in Oklahoma and Texas, Kansas and other parts of the central and eastern United States, they still can be damaging," Cohen said. "And we just encourage folks to be weather aware. Be weather ready. If you hear about storms, thunderstorms in the forecast and mentioning a remote chance of a tornado, it's worth taking those few extra steps ahead of time to be ready to take shelter to protect your life and those of your loved ones."
Cohen also offered some tips about what people should do if they hear a tornado is approaching.
"If you hear the winds whipping up and the storms coming through, encourage everyone to get as low as they can in their building or structure," he said. "Make sure there are as many walls between you and the outside as possible. Make sure that you have blankets and pillows to cover your head and body from flying debris and have multiple ways to receive emergency alert information from the National Weather Service, as well as emergency management and law enforcement."
Dig deeper:
The strongest tornado to hit the greater Los Angeles area in 40 years occurred in Montebello in 2023.
Just weeks later, a tornado also hit the Compton-Carson area.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Tornado rips through Montebello; strongest tornado to hit Los Angeles-area in 40 years
- Tornado in Carson-Compton area confirmed by NWS
As far as the recent storm, some Southern California residents in burn scar zones were under evacuation orders and warnings as it moved through the area.
The storm hit its peak on Thursday, and wreaked havoc across the region.
Some weather alerts remain in effect in the Southland including a high surf advisory and wind warnings.
SUGGESTED COVERAGE:
- Atmospheric river leaves behind muddy mess in Southern California
- SoCal rain causes major flooding, mudslides across LA, Orange counties
What's next:
The storm began moving out of the region Thursday, with clear and mostly sunny conditions expected for Valentine's Day weekend.
The Source: Information provided by the National Weather Service.