Tornado Touches Down In SoCal Amid Torrential Rainstorm, Officials Confirm: Report

LOS ANGELES, CA — The National Weather Service has confirmed that a weak tornado occurred in Los Angeles on Christmas Day, according to a report.

The NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard office sent representatives to conduct a storm survey in Boyle Heights on Friday afternoon "to investigate damage associated with a possible weak tornado that occurred yesterday morning," the NWS wrote on X.

Officials later confirmed that the wind event was indeed a tornado: It stretched 0.25 miles long and 30 yards wide. It was accompanied by 80 mph winds, NWS meteorologist Ariel Cohen told NBC Los Angeles.

The tornado was the weakest level measured by the Enhanced Fujita Scale — an EF-0, which indicated wind speeds of 65 to 85 mph.

Video aired by the station showed wind damage at a strip mall and house, including shattered windows and roof damage.

Tornados may seem unusual in California, but meteorologists say it's not unusual for several to hit the state in any given year.

A similarly weak tornado ripped through an Oxnard neighborhood in February, tearing the roofs off several structures with winds up to 90 mph.

In 2023, three tornados hit California on the same day. The most powerful one, which damaged 17 buildings, was the strongest twister to hit SoCal in 40 years.