It was a good time to be in California. San Francisco residents were in for a terrifying shock after meteorologists declared the first-ever tornado warning for the city.
A devastating storm with strong winds caused property damage, slung cars, and also injured several people. But the most terrifying moment came when 1 million people got a tornado warning alert, telling them to take shelter. That warning also affected the neighboring San Mateo County as well.
There was indeed reports of a tornado in San Francisco today. It reportedly tore up Scotts Valley. Technically, according to CBS News Bay Area meteorologist Paul Heggen it was the first tornado warning for the city. But it wasn't the first ever tornado to hit the Bay area. Still, it was a very terrifying and scary experience for many.
"The radar scan at 5:52am clearly shows a "hook echo" offshore — that's the signature we look for to identify a developing tornado. This feature was embedded within a broad area of very heavy rain, but it still stands out," Heggen explained.
According to local reports, several people reported minor injuries. The strong winds also caused cars to flip and drivers to struggle to stay on the road. The winds downed trees and tore through a Target parking lot in one viral video. Stong wind gusts downed power lines, sending 221,000 people without power.
Tornado Warning In California
It's the first tornado that San Francisco has had since 2005. However, the Weather Service said that it's working to confirm that a funnel actually touched down. But it was a horrifying historic moment for the city.
"This was the first ever warning for a possible tornado in San Francisco. I would guess there wasn´t a clear signature on radar for a warning in 2005," said Roger Gass, a meteorologist in the Weather Service's Monterey, California.
While the warning called for people to take shelter, few people in San Francisco have basements. That's because it's typically earthquake country.
"The biggest thing that we tell people in the city is to put as many walls between you and the outside as possible," Meteorologist Dalton Behringer said.
