A small city in Northern California experienced a rare weather phenomenon Saturday when a tornado touched down in Scotts Valley, just six miles north of Santa Cruz. The unexpected storm caused multiple vehicles to flip, injured five people, and led to significant property damage.
Shortly before 2 p.m. local time on Saturday, a tornado swept through the city’s busy retail area on Mount Hermon Road.
How strong was the tornado in Scotts Valley today?
Although California is not typically associated with tornadoes, the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that an EF1 tornado struck Scotts Valley at about 1:39 p.m. EF1 tornadoes can produce wind speeds between 86 and 110 mph; in this case, winds were estimated to have peaked at around 90 mph.
The sudden and powerful gusts caught many people by surprise. According to Scotts Valley Police Capt. Scott Garner, at least five individuals were injured, most of them inside cars that were tossed or displaced by the twister’s force.
Three of the injured were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, one person suffered a punctured lung, and two individuals declined treatment on the scene. Thankfully, no fatalities were reported.
One of the injured was a CAL FIRE Battalion Chief whose vehicle was lifted off the ground by the tornado. He was hospitalized as a precaution and has since been released, reportedly doing well. The other hospitalized victims have largely been discharged, with only one remaining in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
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Photos shared by the Scotts Valley Police Department show multiple overturned cars along Mount Hermon Road, one of the city’s main thoroughfares and a popular shopping district. Power poles were bent, trees uprooted, and signs—like those of Target and McDonald’s—were destroyed. Six cars were flipped, and numerous businesses suffered damage from flying debris.
Crews from PG&E were called in to assess damage to utility poles and restore power. The area around Mount Hermon Road was temporarily closed to traffic as emergency and utility workers cleared debris and made repairs. Officials hope to have the road reopened by the following morning.
The event’s rarity in a region known for milder coastal weather has left the community stunned. There is currently no official estimate for the total cost of the damages, and insurance adjusters and city officials will likely spend the coming days and weeks evaluating the extent of the losses.
Despite the upheaval and shaken nerves, Scotts Valley residents are grateful that the tornado was relatively short-lived and that there were no fatalities. As the city cleans up, the unusual weather event will likely serve as a reminder that tornadoes, however rare in California, can occur and cause serious disruption in unexpected places.
