@DisastersAndI/X
A tornado was caught on camera by dozens of California residents ripping through a town hundreds of miles away from “Tornado Alley” in the Great Plains.
On Saturday afternoon, the twister touched down in Scotts Valley, leaving a trail of damage in its wake, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Video shared to social media shows the tornado barreling across the town, sending debris flying through the air. Loud gusts of wind can be heard as the branches of trees are seen bending against the storm in one video.
In another video, branches completely break off one tree and fly through the air as the twister is seen running directly over it.
Another video shows people observing the aftermath of the storm, where several cars could be seen on their sides or even completely flipped over. An ambulance is seen at an intersection where multiple cars are flipped and damaged.
Imagine walking out of your supermarket hundreds of miles from “Tornado Alley” to find a massive tornado ripping through your small California town. Well that’s what happened to Jerry Childers in Scott’s Valley, CA today. pic.twitter.com/k8WzyKEwRT
— jake 🙂 (@tornadicwonder) December 14, 2024
Scotts Valley Police Captain Scott Garner told KGO-TV that several power lines were reported to be down, and a middle school was also damaged after a tree was uprooted and hit part of the building.
Garner added that at least five people were reported injured, but are expected to be OK.
Local residents said they were shocked they had been hit with a tornado, which are not common in the area.
“This is the most low-key town,” Bellina Jones, who was working at an ice cream shop when the twister hit, told the Chronicle. “Nothing ever happens here.”
The tornado was labeled as an EF1 tornado by the National Weather Service, with winds peaking at 90 mph.
Originally published by Latin Times.
