‘Probable Tornado’ To Blame For Los Angeles Area Storm Damage

LOS ANGELES -A powerful storm punctuated by tornado warnings that sent many residents scampering for cover hammered Orange County today, flipping at least one vehicle, flooding some streets and damaging some roofs.

What a witness described as a funnel cloud touched down early this afternoon near Pacific Coast Highway and Anderson Street north of Sunset Beach flipped an SUV onto its side, and rocked boats that were docked nearby.

The National Weather Service says a tornado probably is to blame for flipping overthat car, smashing windows and tearing off a roof in Southern California beach communities.

Forecaster Philip Gonsalves says a thunderstorm cell with fierce, rotating winds came ashore Tuesday afternoon from the Pacific and rapidly moved southeast from Los Angeles into Orange and San Diego counties.

“I was having a conversation with a colleague when all of a sudden here was this big funnel cloud of water, debris, and everything,” a man in the area told KCAL9. “I seen trees that looked like they were being uprooted, cutting across. It was here and then it was gone. It was surreal.

“Actually, it was weird, because the streets were — there’s a point here at Sunset that goes dry for a moment and then the traffic flows. It just happens to hit when things were really dry at that moment.”

The man said he heard a rooftop was damaged along the beach, and some boats were being tossed about.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning early this afternoon for parts of the county, but it was canceled shortly before 2 p.m.

Just minutes later, another tornado warning was issued for the southeast portion of the county, stretching into San Diego County.

That warning was canceled around 2:30 p.m.

When the warning was issued, police in Seal Beach ordered storm-watchers away from the Seal Beach pier, and many people who were watching the surging waves pummel the pier scrambled for cover. Metrolink trains were halted at stations along the Orange County line for nearly an hour before being allowed back in service — at reduced speeds — shortly before 2:30 p.m.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Tina Stall said the afternoon forecast “looks fairly nasty.” She said water spouts were possible across the ocean and, if they come ashore, they become tornadoes.

In Irvine, the stormy weather caused a roughly 25-foot-by-25-foot portion of a building roof to collapse.

There were no immediate reports of any injuries from the wild weather.

Orange County Fire Authority spokesman Capt. Greg McKeown advised people to not drive because the powerful gusts can overturn vehicles.

“We want people to seek shelter on the first floor and stay away from windows and walls,” McKeown said. “Monitor your radio and TV and stay away from standing water or moving water — you don’t know how strong those currents can be and you can swept up in them.”

The fire authority had 16 extra firefighters on duty and a helicopter available today, McKeown said.

The next wave of the storm — expected to hit later tonight and into Thursday — was expected to be the most damaging.

“Let me find some wood, knock on wood,” joked Terry Belanger, Seal Beach’s interim public works director. “The first rains (Monday) pretty much flushed the streets and there were no serious problems. It was pretty routine actually. But we’re told the weather activity later this week is going to be more severe, especially by the ocean so we’re gearing up for the anticipated storms Thursday and Friday.”

Like most coastal towns with residences along the ocean, Seal Beach officials were shoring up its berms.

“Between now and (Thursday) we’re going to be prepared as we can be.

Seal Beach puts in a sand berm on its eastern beach to keep tidal water out of the residences that front the beach,” Belanger said. “We’ve had a couple of situations where the water got behind the berm, but that’s because it’s not closed off at both ends, But we’ve had no damage to property and we’ve been able to handle the water behind the berm with pumps.”

Seal Beach will have water pumps and extra sand bags ready to keep the water away from the homes, Belanger said.

He described the ocean now as “a great big washing machine.” Newport Beach’s waves were only about 3 feet high today, but the wind was picking up and lifeguards expected some bigger sets today, said Newport Beach Lifeguard Battalion Chief Jim Turner.

“We’ve got 38 or 39 mph winds right now,” he said about noon.

“Yesterday the winds were pretty steady at 40 to 45 mph.”

The waves got up to about 12 feet at 4-second intervals Monday, Turner said. Over in Corona Del Mar, where they were better protected by the wind, surfers, “had great rides,” Turner added.

The lifeguards will have at least one or two units patrolling the beaches through the rest of the week and they plan to move their towers back because of beach erosion, Turner said.

“Our biggest concern is we’re trying to keep our facility from leaking too much, like most residents of Southern California,” Turner said, laughing.