Authorities have issued a tornado warning in San Francisco after a windstorm hit the region of northern California, causing trees to fall over, followed by massive power cuts.
On Saturday, around 6:00 a.m. local time, the National Weather service issued a tornado warning following reports of massive thunderstorms and uprooted trees in various parts of northern California.
According to Roger Glass, a meteorologist, it was informed that this was technically the first-ever tornado warning issued for San Francisco, as during the 2005 tornado there was no indication of a tornado on radar, which left the authorities with no time to issue a warning.
"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," he told the Associated Press.
Tornado effects in northern California
According to the reports, on Saturday morning a massive windstorm swept through at an average of 78-83 mph across northern California. Several trees were knocked over, tearing up electric wires and causing roadblocks.
As per the PowerOutage.us website, the windstorm has caused a power cut for nearly 221,000 people. In the Bay Area, the roads and underpasses were temporarily flooded with water due to the heavy rainfall.
Authorities were reported to be inspecting the damages to determine whether a tornado had occurred. They also reported several people, including a firefighter, to be injured during this massive wind gust.
According to the state police reports, "At this time, several individuals have been transported to nearby trauma centers for evaluation and treatment. While injuries have been reported, there have been no fatalities at this time. Emergency medical teams are prioritizing those most in need of care, and we continue to monitor the situation closely. The tornado has caused extensive damage in several areas, including overturning several vehicles in and around the shopping district."
The hazardous weather conditions in northern California are expected to mellow down on Sunday; however, there is a forecast for heavy rainfall in the region on Monday and Tuesday.
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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, tornadoes are quite rare in California. Since 1950, there have been less than 500 tornadoes reported in the state, which led to no fatal injuries.
Moreover, a massive ice storm also hit various parts of Iowa and eastern Nebraska on Friday evening. This ice storm has caused roadblocks and dangerous driving conditions across both states. According to the Washington County Sheriff's office, a middle-aged woman lost her life in a car crash caused by the icy roads in eastern Nebraska.
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