A rare EF-0 tornado struck East Los Angeles overnight, damaging roofs and uprooting trees along a one-mile path, according to meteorologists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A storm damage assessment from the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Los Angeles, California, confirmed on Thursday that a high-end EF-0 tornado occurred in the East Los Angeles community of Pico Rivera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on the pattern of damage assessed and eyewitness accounts, the NWS rated the tornado damage as from a high-end EF-0 tornado with estimated peak winds of 85 mph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The “small, weak, and brief” tornado uprooted trees, downed large tree branches, and damaged roofs, the NWS said. Some trees fell on residences and vehicles, causing additional damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tornado developed over the northeast portion of Pico Rivera, tracked northeastward at around 30 mph along a one-mile path, and dissipated near the intersection of the 605 Freeway and Whittier Boulevard. The most intense damage from the tornado occurred in the vicinity of Glencannon Drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tornado was associated with a shallow meso-vortex embedded within a small quasi-linear convective system that tracked northeastward across the LA Basin during the pre-dawn hours of Thursday. This activity was linked to a large and strong storm system that also produced flooding elsewhere across the Greater L.A. area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tornadoes in the Los Angeles area are rare and often weak when they occur. In March 2023, a tornado struck the Montebello area, next to Pico Rivera, where Thursday’s tornado touched down. The Montebello tornado was rated as an EF-1 with peak winds of 110 mph, the strongest in the region since 1983, leaving a couple of injuries and causing significant damage to several buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n