Tuolumne tornado confirmed by National Weather Service. Here’s the damage it did
A brief EF-1 tornado touched down about 6 miles west of Tuttletown in Tuolumne County on Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service’s Sacramento office confirmed Sunday afternoon.
Its estimated peak winds were 90 mph. It traveled a path of about 0.8 miles and had a maximum width of about 100 yards. It was on the ground only about one minute, starting about 2:52 p.m.
It occurred near Old Melones Road and caused extensive damage to oak and pine trees, a news release says. It also is known to have snapped two power poles in half.
A tornado warning was put out at 2:37 p.m., giving about 15 minutes of lead time before the tornado hit, the release says. All evidence, including radar, was evaluated in coordination with the Tuolumne County Office of Emergency Services, the NWS said.
The tornado hit during severe thunderstorms that also produced 1-inch hail and significant flash flooding in the towns of Copperopolis, Sonora and Tuolumne.
Tuolumne OES asks residents and business owners to call 209-533-6395 to report any major flooding or damages as a result of recent storms.
It says in a Facebook post, “We are looking for pictures of impacts from (Saturday’s) storms, including flooding of buildings, roadways, critical infrastructure, including if anyone saw a tornado touch down within the county lines. Please email those to oes@co.tuolumne.ca.us.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2023 at 2:09 PM.
