A severe weather event in Southern California caused widespread damage in the San Gabriel Valley community, east of Los Angeles. The rare tornado scattered debris for several blocks, leaving 17 buildings damaged and 11 red-tagged, indicating that they are unsafe to occupy. The tornado, considered an EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, packed winds of 86 mph to 110 mph, the strongest to hit the Los Angeles area in decades. One person was hospitalized with minor injuries.
Michael Turner, the owner of a 33,000-square-foot warehouse, described the scene as winds gained speed, saying, "It got very loud. Things were flying all over the place. The whole factory became a big dustbowl for a minute. Then when the dust settled, the place was just a mess." His polyester fiber business called Turner Fiberfill suffered severe damage and might be closed for months. None of his employees were injured.
Niky Orellana, owner of Niky's Sports Warehouse, described how the wind blew out the door and window, despite their efforts to hold them. Video footage from inside the warehouse showed debris scattered and a large hole in the roof.
The tornado was part of an early spring storm that arrived on Tuesday, causing damage to about 25 residences when another tornado touched down in Carpinteria. The storm was expected to taper off on Thursday and leave Southern California with dry conditions and cool temperatures.
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