A weak tornado briefly touched down in Boyle Heights on Christmas Day, officials confirmed Friday.
Intense winds swept through the neighborhood, damaging roofs, power poles and signs, including near Whittier Boulevard and Lorena Street, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. KNBC4-TV reported the tornado hit around 10:10 a.m. Thursday.
The NWS sent a survey team Friday and confirmed the damage was caused by a tornado rated EF-0, the lowest category on the Enhanced Fujita scale. An EF-0 tornado produces winds between 65 to 85 mph.
The tornado reached winds of 80 mph, stretched a quarter-mile long and 30 yards wide, said Ariel Cohen of the NWS, during a Friday news conference. The NWS assessment determined the tornado began near a home on Lee Street between Lorena and Spence streets and ended in an alley near Whittier Boulevard and Lorena Street, according to the office of Los Angeles City Council member Ysabel Jurado.
No injuries were reported.
Video shared with KABC-TV showed a roof blowing off a home in Boyle Heights Thursday morning, sending debris into the air.
In a press release, Jurado said she was on-site with the NWS during its assessment and is now “working closely with city departments to ensure that residents who were impacted receive the support they need.”
Jurado urged residents whose homes or property were affected to contact her office or call 311 for assistance and information about available resources.
The tornado came as a historic atmospheric river hit Southern California this week. More wind and rain are expected next week, forecasters said.
A weak tornado hit Pico Rivera in March and another touched down in Montebello in 2023. Read more about why Los Angeles periodically experiences tornadoes.
Boyle Heights Beat reporters Alejandra Molina and Andrew Lopez contributed to this report.