Rare Tornadoes Hit Los Angeles Area Amid Bomb Cyclone with Severe Weather

Rare tornadoes struck the Los Angeles area earlier this week amid a bomb cyclone with severe weather and flooding rain, according to reports.

US weather authorities classified the tornadoes as "weak" but is still significant since twisters are relatively uncommon in California, compared to other parts of the US like the Midwest and in the 'Tornado Alley' of the Central US.

The California tornadoes occurred amid renewed storms across the West Coast. Last weekend, the National Weather Service (NWS) - Weather Prediction Center (WPC) issued a forecast of a series of storms called the 'Pacific storm train' for this week. The storms have been expected to cause floodwaters due to heavy rain and mountain snow.

California Tornadoes

(Photo : Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
MONTEBELLO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 22: A utility worker walks near an uprooted tree after a possible rare tornado touched down and ripped up building roofs in a Los Angeles suburb on March 22, 2023 in Montebello, California. Another Pacific storm has been pounding California with heavy rain, high winds, and snow.

Tornadoes occurred in southern California in recent days, as seen in the cities of Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County and Montebello in Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles Times reported. Widespread disruption and damage to infrastructure has documented during the whirling vortex of air.

The Carpinteria tornado occurred on Tuesday, March 21, with the NWS classifying the twister at EF0 out of a 5-tier level under the Enhanced Fujita scale, shortly known as the EF scale. Tuesday's tornado had a wind speed strength reaching up to 75 miles per hour.

Meanwhile, the Montebello tornado occurred at 11:14 a.m. local time on Wednesday, March 22, and was stronger with an EF scale of 1 and winds up to 110 miles per hour.

NWS Oxnard meteorologist Carol Smith stated there is a wide perception that people in California do not experience tornadoes, but they do. However, Smith clarified that getting one tornado in any spot is very rare but seeing them occurring several times in a year is not uncommon, as cited by the LA Times.

Also Read: Meteorologists Issue Storm Alert for Thunderstorms and Tornadoes to Central US from Midweek

California Bomb Cyclone

As mentioned earlier, the cause of the rare tornadoes is a bomb cyclone, which brought intense winds, torrential rain, and severe thunderstorms throughout California this week. At least five fatalities were linked to the storm; wherein at least three people dead due to fallen trees landing over the victims and their parked vehicles, The Associated Press reported, as cited by AccuWeather.

A bomb cyclone forms through the process of bombogenesis, which transpires when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass like the air over warm ocean waters, as explained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Bomb cyclone is a popular term used to depict a mid-altitude cyclone that quickly intensifies when atmospheric pressure drops by at least 24 millibars over 24 hours. Another term used for this type of storm is 'winter hurricane.'

Such weather phenomenon is both destructive and deadly. In December 2022, the infamous event called the 'New York bomb cyclone' or 'New York blizzard' killed at least 39 people. December's winter storm also affected other US regions, including the West.