The National Weather Service is investigating a possible tornado in Oxnard after strong winds damaged a mobile home park.
The powerful winds roared at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday as the strongest storm of the season delivered hours of rainfall in Southern California. Dozens of structures at the Ocean-Aire Mobile Home Estates were damaged, including carports and mobile home roofs.
A NWS damage assessment team was expected to visit the location Friday morning. The agency said it is investigating a possible tornado, but said the damage also might have been caused by strong straight-line winds.
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued in the Oxnard area Thursday afternoon. The NWS alert noted that a tornado is possible.
Tornadoes are unusual in Southern 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.
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 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
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.
[publish_date
