Rare California tornado injures 5, flips vehicles north of Santa Cruz
Tornado alley it's not, but a section of California was hit Saturday with a rare tornado that has been blamed for injuring five and flipping vehicles as a storm moved across the state.
Tornado alley it's not, but a section of California was hit Saturday with a rare tornado that has been blamed for injuring five and flipping vehicles as a storm moved across the state.
A tornado in Scotts Valley, a small city about 6 miles north of Santa Cruz "threw multiple cars off the road," the city police department said on Facebook, where it posted images of overturned vehicles.
Police Capt. Scott Garner said five people, most in vehicles that were tossed or moved by the tornado, suffered injuries, but none of them were major. Three were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries while two refused treatment at the scene, he said.
A National Weather Service damage survey determined an EF1 tornado touched down in Scotts Valley at 1:39 p.m. local time and had an estimated peak wind of 90 mph.
The tornado traveled about 30 yards, with the most severe damage on Mount Hermon Road, the city’s main street and retail district, the survey found.
Rating: 5