The U.S. state of California experiences several tornadoes every year, with at least 488 twisters[nb 1] recorded since 1891. Among these are four fire whirls, a type of tornado that develops from a wildfire. California's strongest rated tornadoes on the Fujita scale (or Enhanced Fujita Scale after 2007) were rated an F/EF3, which occurred three times – two F3 tornadoes in the Greater Los Angeles area in the 1970s, as well as an EF3-equivalent fire whirl near Redding in Shasta County that developed within the 2018 Carr Fire. The fire whirl was one of two deadly tornadic events on record in the state, killing four people. The other deadly event was a tornado that hit Santa Monica in 1952, which killed three people. There have been at least 100 injuries related to tornadoes in the state.
Although less common and not as strong as tornadoes in the central United States, there are regularly tornadoes in three regions of the state – the Los Angeles area, the deserts of Southern California, and the Central Valley. Most tornadoes in California are weak and short-lived, often F0 or EF0, although some can be destructive or notable. Tornadogenesis can occur because of a supercell thunderstorm, a waterspout, a landspout, or a fire whirl, and can happen in any month of the year. The month with the most tornadic activity is March, with most of the state's tornadoes occurring between January and April. Excluding fire whirls, the most recent EF2 tornado was in 2011, which touched down near Oroville in Butte County. In July 2004, a twister touched down in Sequoia National Park at an altitude of around 12,156 ft (3,705 m), making it the highest elevation for a confirmed tornado in the United States. The most California tornadoes on a single day in the state was seven, which occurred on November 9, 1982. More recently, there were five tornadoes on April 1, 1996, as well as October 22, 2012.
- ^ "National Weather Service Glossary". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
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