Rare tornado hits Los Angeles

On Wednesday March 23, 2023, a city southeast of Los Angeles was hit by a rare tornado, causing injuries and property damage, local officials said.

The National Weather Service confirmed that the tornado briefly touched down in an industrial park and warehouse district in the city of Montebello, with estimated peak winds of 110mph, making it the strongest tornado to hit the Los Angeles area since 1983.

The tornado caused significant damage, affecting at least 17 buildings, including 11 buildings that were deemed too dangerous to use by the fire department, according to Micheal Chee, a city public information officer. It even collapsed the roof of one building, snapped a power pole, ejected an HVAC unit, broke skylights, damaged cars, and uprooted a 1-foot wide healthy pine tree.

Tornados are not common in California, with an average of fewer than 10 per year, and most are small and short lived, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.