Tornado Moves Ashore With Storm

A rare tornado along the coast of northwestern California was detected by National Weather Service radar Saturday.

But after the apparent twister moved ashore in a lightly-populated area of Humboldt County no damage has been reported.

At about 10:10 a.m. the National Weather Service at Eureka said a strong Pacific storm had churned up a waterspout. It appeared to move ashore at about 30 miles per hour to become a tornado in the Ferndale area about 10:30 a.m.

But police serving the Fortuna-Ferndale area and the Humboldt County sheriff´s office say no one had called to report any tornado damage. The Weather Service in Eureka said an observer was sent to the area where the tornado was detected.

Forecaster Carol Ciliberti in Eureka says this weekend´s series of winter storms moving into northwestern California had produced “about everything you can imagine.” She says the area today has continued flash flood watches for several counties, high winds, high surf and a winter weather advisory in the nearby mountains of Trinity County.

The forecaster says the heaviest weather pounding Northern California would probably reach its peak today and tomorrow. What appears at this time to be lighter Pacific storm activity could also reach California during the coming week.