Several injured, 'extensive' property damage reported following apparent tornado in Scotts Valley
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (KGO) -- The National Weather Service reports of a possible tornado in Santa Cruz County Saturday afternoon.
The possible twister was reported around 1:40 p.m. in Scotts Valley.
Several people were injured and "extensive" property damage was reported by city officials after an apparent tornado hit the area during a localized thunderstorm.
The National Weather Service was sending a team to the area to confirm if the event was a tornado.
Scotts Valley Police Department spokesman Capt. Scott Garner said in a press release that the apparent tornado struck at 1:30 p.m., leaving several people injured, vehicles overturned, and damaging the Scotts Valley Shopping Center and nearby businesses.
He said multiple people had been taken to trauma centers for treatment and evaluation. He said there were no confirmed fatalities.
Several collisions and other impacts to vehicles and power lines were caused by the weather event, which came after the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area.
A large tree fell onto Scotts Valley Middle School and Mt. Herman Road was closed at Scotts Valley Road. The road was also closed between Lockwood Lane and Kings Village Road as impacted vehicles were cleared and injuries were assessed, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The unconfirmed tornado came hours after the National Weather Service issued an unprecedented tornado warning earlier Saturday morning for San Francisco, but that was canceled after the rotational winds that caused the warning moved past the city.
Video from Arthur Soto shared with ABC7 showed very strong windy conditions with debris flying in the air.
VIDEO: Possible tornado touches down in Scotts Valley
Soto and a passenger were driving along Mt. Hermon Road.
Another video by X user, @Bushmantribe, showed the possible twister at a shopping center parking lot in Scotts Valley.
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The NWS said it has looked into videos, photos, firsthand accounts possibly identifying it as a tornado.
The agency is investigating its storm ranking.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
