Tornado hits northern California town

On Saturday afternoon, a tornado struck Scotts Valley, a town located in northern California, resulting in injuries and significant damage. The tornado, which was classified as an EF1, flipped several cars and brought down power lines in the area. Local authorities reported that at least four individuals sustained injuries due to the tornado, with two of them requiring hospitalization. The tornado lasted for approximately five minutes and was characterized as one of the weaker types of tornadoes. Earlier that day, residents of San Francisco received a tornado warning for the first time in history as thunderstorms swept through the region. The tornado touched down in Scotts Valley at 1:39 PM local time, and the local fire service confirmed the injuries. In response to the damage, police closed a road overnight to facilitate repair work and debris removal. The National Weather Service estimated that wind speeds reached around 90 miles per hour during the tornado. The tornado was reported to be about 30 yards wide and traveled a distance of a quarter of a mile before dissipating. Earlier in the day, a tornado warning was issued for parts of downtown San Francisco and northern San Mateo County. More than one million residents in San Francisco and its suburbs were awakened by alerts on their mobile phones, urging them to 'take shelter now. ' Winds of up to 60 miles per hour were recorded in the area. However, shortly after the warning was issued, the National Weather Service announced that the warning was lifted and the storm had moved out of downtown San Francisco. The last tornado recorded in the city occurred in 2005, but it did not have a clear radar signature, which meant no warning was issued at that time. The last tornado warning for San Mateo County was in 2011. The warning was prompted by a powerful storm that passed through overnight, resulting in fallen trees and widespread power outages. As of Sunday, over 50,000 customers were still without power along the northern and central California coast. The National Weather Service also advised residents to avoid the seaside over the weekend due to a coastal flood advisory that would remain in effect until Monday. The tornado alert in San Francisco came just a week after the city experienced a magnitude 7. 0 earthquake off the northern coast of the state. This earthquake led to a brief advisory for northern California and southern Oregon, which was later rescinded, and fortunately, no injuries were reported.