Several structures in a mobile home community in Oxnard were damaged following a tornado that touched down Friday. Jonathan Gonzalez reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.
A rare tornado in Oxnard damaged a mobile home park during a day of severe weather in Southern California, the National Weather Service said Friday.
The powerful winds roared at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday as the strongest storm of the season delivered hours of widespread rainfall. Dozens of structures at the Ocean-Aire Mobile Home Estates were damaged, including carports and mobile home roofs.
A NWS damage assessment team visited the location Friday morning. The agency said it was investigating whether the damage was due to a tornado or straight-line winds.
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The NWS confirmed later Friday morning that the event was a weak tornado. Winds reached 75 mph to 90 mph, authorities said.
"A National Weather Service damage assessment team has confirmed a weak tornado occurred in Oxnard, California on Thursday, February 13," the agency said in a statement. "The tornado tracked from the Country Club Mobile Estates to Ocean-Aire Mobile Estates in south Oxnard."
Video from NewsChopper4 showed damaged to at least two mobile homes in the College Park neighborhood in the community about 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
"The wind, you could hear it pick up," said Geri Villegas, who was visiting her daughter. "All of the sudden I looked to my right, and I see something fly by. It was the awning from the neighbors."
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued in the Oxnard area Thursday afternoon. The NWS alert noted that a tornado is possible.
"The house shook," said resident Jim Ross. "It was hard to know what the rumbling was. Of course, it go louder and louder. Sounded like something hit the top of the house."
Tornadoes are unusual in California and they're usually weak, but can still cause damage. In March 2023, the roof of a Montebello business was ripped off and more than a dozen other buildings were damaged by a tornado in Montebello.
Heavy rain moving through Ventura County and into Los Angeles County. Expect a rapid enhancement of rain and potentially strong winds, with significant road flooding, burn scar debris flows, and downed trees. Stay off roads. #cawx #larain pic.twitter.com/6xJ71GJ0SJ
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) February 14, 2025
In March 1983, a storm system off the coast of California unleashed a terrifying weather oddity south of downtown Los Angeles. A tornado packing winds between 113 and 157 mph destroyed homes and businesses, flipped cars, hurled debris and ripped part of the roof from the LA Convention Center.
Heavy rain soaked the region for most of the day and intensified Thursday afternoon, triggering flooding and mud flows, particularly in Pacific Palisades, Altadena and Pasadena.
Record rainfall was reported Thursday in downtown Los Angeles with 2.8 inches. That breaks the record for the day of 2.71 inches set in 1954.
By the time the storm exits, roughly 1 to 3 inches of rain are expected in most coastal and valley areas with 3 to 6 inches anticipated in the foothills and mountains.
Flash flood warnings issued for much of eastern, western and central Los Angeles County, including the Eaton, Palisades, Franklin and Bridge fire burn areas, have expired.
