Posted on 01/19/2010 1:25:41 PM PST by Beaten Valve
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for the South Los Angeles, Long Beach and Whittier areas as a powerful new storm moves ashore.
The warning is expected to be in place for at least 45 minutes.
Radar shows heavy rain falling in Long Beach, with the storm moving in at 35 mph to the northeast. There were also reports of thunder and lightning across the region.
Forecasters said the storm was capable of producing a tornado, but there was no evidence at this time that any tornadoes have developed on land.
[Updated at 1:03 p.m.: The tornado warning was extended to Orange County. In Seal Beach, officials were urging people to get off the beach. In San Pedro, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported major street flooding in area near the harbor and ocean.
In East Long Beach, flood waters rose above some street and were filling the grass areas in front of some homes. There were reports of power outages, though exactly how widespread is not clear.
The Orange County Sheriff's Department is checking a report that a car driving on Pacific Coast Highway might have been damaged by the storm, but officials have not confirmed this.
Huntington Beach lifeguards said no waterspouts—or offshore tornadoes—have been spotted. The beaches were mostly empty while waves surged, lightning struck and wind reached gusts of 52 miles per hour, said Huntington Beach Marine Safety Lt. Mike Beuerlein.
Newport Beach was seeing wind gusts of over 72 miles per hour and has closed jetties due to high surf, but has seen no tornadoes or waterspouts, said Jennifer Schulz of the Newport Beach Fire Dept.]
]
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
Nope, not kidding. I lived there for over 40 years and never heard of a tornado in CA.
Was in LA during the 84 El Nino. IIRC, there were tornados and golf ball sized hail. Another lifetime. Rained so hard the floors where I was shook.
I saw it! I’m in it .. visiting in Newport Beach. It’s nasty out there.
I live in Tn., but spent 26 yrs in Whittier. Do you have any info.
Now, I do remember that one. It hit SoCal during lunch one day; by the time we got back to the base at El Toro it was pouring sheets of rain and hail. By the time we were due to get off work, every road off the base was flooded.
Maybe I just haven’t been paying attention.
March ‘83 F2 Tornado struck downtown LA and injured 30 people. I was in the 5th grade and remember it like it was yesterday. This was the event that made me a storm chaser! LOL!
As an east coast transplant now living in the San Fernando Valley, I alway got a chuckle when a 1/16” of rain is the first 15 minutes of the local news report. I have to say however that is not the case this time. It flat out poured here today!
Wow, I knew CA had four seasons- flood, fire, earthquake and mudslides. Now they are having tornadoes?? When I lived there, residents always proudly boasted, “At least we don’t have tornadoes!”
thanks, I have KCAL on right now
Well, that’s OK. I hear the memory goes 1st. ;>
(Now that was a joke. I must be in a fairly good mood. Remember this moment. It may not come again for a while.)
Damn I am close to that...but I think it is over for my locale...sky is getting lighter....
LOL!
Seriously, stay safe down there. El Nino means our weather mellows out, but yours gets unruly.
LOL! Sorry...I know storm statistics like many know sports statistics.
You picked a good time to come up here and, hey, Newport Beach: now that’s ritzy. LOL. Rain slacked off a few minutes ago and now, there is even blue sky up there. What a dramatic storm.
You picked a good time to come up here and, hey, Newport Beach: now that’s ritzy. LOL. Rain slacked off a few minutes ago and now, there is even blue sky up there. What a dramatic storm.
On days like this I'm happy I chucked it and moved out to the desert.
Oh yeah!! That was the storm that took down the Santa Monica Pier, just tore the whole thing off.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.