Brief tornado touches down near LA, damaging buildings and vehicles, NWS confirms

CARSON, Calif. -- A brief tornado touched down Thursday morning in Southern California in the area of Carson and Compton, damaging vehicles and multiple buildings, and toppling at least one large tree, officials said.

The National Weather Service confirmed that a "weak" EF0-strength tornado happened at about 8:45 a.m. The degree of damage suggested that winds of up to 75 mph occurred, the agency said.
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Tornado strength is measured by an enhanced F-scale rating from EF0 to EF5, which considers 28 different types of damage to structures and trees. An EF2 or higher is considered a significant tornado.

No injuries were reported Thursday.
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Video from AIR7 HD showed at least three buildings with significant holes in their roofs. Meanwhile, crews were working to remove a fallen tree on a nearby sidewalk.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.