Scotts Valley cleans up, calms down after EF1 tornado rips through town: 'We dodged a bullet'
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (KGO) -- A big cleanup is happening in the Santa Cruz mountains, 24 hours after a confirmed tornado touched down in Scotts Valley.
It was a scene straight out of the movies, but this was real life for people in Scotts Valley Saturday. A confirmed EF1 tornado touched down on Mt. Hermon Road.
Ben Hughes was there.
"Everything was being blown that way. Cars were suddenly moving. You could see the traffic lights leave the poles," Hughes said.
The tornado touched down between two shopping centers, tearing through power lines and flipping cars over with people inside.
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"I was like, 'Dad, we need to go help people.' So, we sprinted out of the Target and help this lady out of her car. We put pressure on her head because she was bleeding," said witness Chloe Kent.
"We started dragging branches out of the road for emergency vehicles. Everyone was in a state of 'should I get in my car and drive away or should I help out?'" Hughes said.
Police say five people were injured. One person remains in the hospital.
"It was a miracle no one was killed in this event," said Scotts Valley Vice Mayor Derek Timm.
Timm says the city is cleaning up and still assessing damage. A classroom at Scotts Valley Middle School was impacted by a fallen tree.
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"We're lucky it didn't hit infrastructure or buildings directly in this location. The fact that one person was critically injured is tragic, but we're pulling for that person," Timm said.
The tornado cut a clear path through a shopping center parking lot. Tree limbs were everywhere, with several smashed cars too.
The sign at the local McDonald's was trashed by high winds. Manager Chris Wakeoen was working the lunch shift.
"I saw some people outside. They ran inside, and they were holding the door shut, so it was a little more safe," Wakeoen said.
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Customers in the drive-thru were not injured.
"I think only one person wanted a refund, because we couldn't complete order," he said.
This community is now moving forward from a day they will never forget.
"I feel like we dodged a bullet on this one, in terms of injuries and no fatalities," Timm said.
