San Francisco Experiences First Tornado Warning as Rare Storm Hits Bay Area

A historic tornado warning and confirmed tornado in Scotts Valley highlight an unusual weather event marked by destructive winds, flooding, and widespread power outages.

The National Weather Service issued San Francisco's first-ever tornado warning early Saturday, lasting 20 minutes, as radar detected cyclonic rotation offshore.
A confirmed EF1 tornado with peak winds of 90 mph touched down in Scotts Valley, south of the Bay Area, flipping cars, damaging property, and injuring five people.
The storm caused significant disruptions, including over 220,000 power outages across Northern and Central California, with 10,000 outages reported in San Francisco alone.
Heavy rain, wind gusts up to 83 mph, and flooding impacted the region, with damage assessments ongoing in areas like Mill Valley and Novato, which faced citywide blackouts.
Tornadoes are rare in California, but meteorologists warn the atmospheric river and cold front created conditions conducive to severe weather.