Rare Christmas Day Tornado Touches Down in Los Angeles Amidst Historic Storm
A powerful winter storm delivered a startling Christmas Day surprise to residents of Boyle Heights: a tornado. The twister, rated an EF-0 – the weakest classification on the Enhanced Fujita scale – touched down shortly after 10 a.m., adding to the widespread devastation already caused by a record-breaking Pineapple Express storm that has battered Southern California.
Susan Orozco, a 70-year-old resident of Lee Street, recounted the unexpected event. “The trees started shaking so violently, and it was so sudden that I figured it probably was something strange going on and probably was a tornado,” she said. “I’ve now been through a tornado. I don’t think I want to go through a hurricane. And this was a small one.”
The tornado, with wind speeds reaching up to 80 mph, traveled approximately a third of a mile through the community east of downtown Los Angeles. Initial damage reports indicate the twister damaged roofs on Lee Street, including one home where rainwater leaked inside, and a nearby home’s wooden awning. The storm also impacted a strip mall at the intersection of Whittier Boulevard and South Lorena Street, shattering windows at two restaurants, bending a utility pole, and destroying business signage. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The event underscores the intensity of the recent weather system, which brought record rainfall across a wide swath of Southern California. Governor Gavin Newsom has declared states of emergency in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Shasta counties.
Beyond the tornado, the storm has unleashed a series of hazards. On Friday night, a boulder fell onto Highway 18 near Big Bear Lake, contributing to a two-car collision that injured five people, including two children. At Mammoth Mountain, two ski patrollers sustained significant injuries during avalanche mitigation work, forcing the resort to close on Saturday.
Some of the most severe damage occurred in the San Gabriel Mountains, where a debris flow inundated homes and buried vehicles in Wrightwood. In Lytle Creek, a bridge connecting parts of the town was potentially destroyed by floodwaters. Roughly 50 homes in San Bernardino County sustained severe damage, with at least two dozen located in Wrightwood. First responders, including L.A. County firefighters, rescued over 100 people, including 21 lifted to safety from vehicles via helicopter.
Authorities are also investigating storm-related fatalities. A deceased man was discovered in a partially submerged vehicle near Lancaster, and the body of a 21-year-old was found in a car submerged in a canal in Fresno County. Earlier deaths included a motorist who drove into floodwaters in Redding, a woman struck by a wave in Mendocino County, and a man killed by a falling tree in San Diego.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass toured the affected neighborhoods on Friday, emphasizing that the safety of all residents is her “top priority.” Los Angeles City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, representing Boyle Heights, stated her team is actively seeking city funds to support residents and business owners. “We want to make people whole, and provide those people with resources,” she said.
Meteorologists note that while uncommon, tornadoes are not unprecedented in Southern California. Rich Thompson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, explained that tornadoes often result from atmospheric instability during large storms, creating “shear” – differing wind directions at various altitudes. “Fortunately, they are weak,” Thompson said. “They don’t do a lot of damage, or are not long-lived, which is nice — but they do occur.”
Data indicates that California has experienced 478 recorded tornadoes between 1950 and 2024, with Los Angeles County accounting for the highest number at 49, followed by San Bernardino County with 33.
The recent events follow a pattern of increased storm activity in the region. Last year, a tornado in Scotts Valley injured three people, while tornadoes in Oxnard and Pico Rivera caused damage in February and March, respectively. In 2023, a Montebello tornado – the strongest to hit L.A. County in 40 years – reached EF-1 status, injuring one person and damaging 17 buildings. The previous EF-1 or greater tornado in L.A. County occurred in 1983, an EF-2 event that caused significant damage in South Los Angeles.
As recovery efforts continue, organizations like Team Rubicon are providing assistance. A volunteer leader with the organization noted they are seeing an increase in out-of-season disasters, reflecting a changing climate. “It’s an ever-changing landscape as the climate changes.”
