A tornado touched down near Santa Cruz, causing damage and injuring several people. The incident occurred in Scotts Valley on Mount Hermon Drive, where cars were flipped and power lines were knocked down. Scotts Valley police warned residents to avoid the area due to multiple power lines blocking the road.
Witnesses reported that it was not an accident but a possible tornado that caused the damage near the Target store, throwing multiple cars off the road. The Scotts Valley Fire Protection District confirmed that four to five people were injured, with two of them being transported to hospitals. Around 20 cars were damaged in the event.
The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning before the tornado hit. A preliminary damage survey indicated that the tornado lasted five minutes, with winds reaching 90 mph. The NWS classified it as a weak EF1 tornado, with most severe damage seen along Mount Hermon Road.
Scotts Valley is a small town north of Santa Cruz, and the tornado was part of a powerful storm that passed through Northern California. While the tornado warning in San Francisco did not materialize, high winds caused various impacts in the region, including a city-wide power outage in Novato and a closure of Interstate 580 due to a multiple-vehicle collision.
The storm was part of a series of extreme wind events in Northern California, highlighting the need for residents to stay alert during severe weather conditions.
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