Although Los Angeles County has never experienced the monsters that terrorize the midwest, tornadoes, albeit smaller ones, are not unknown here. Since 1950, at least 42 tornadoes were reported to have occurred in Los Angeles County. Most were quite small, covering short distances and doing little or no damage.

Tornadoes that come from a supercell thunderstorm are the most common, and often the most dangerous. A rotating updraft is a key to the development of a supercell, and eventually a tornado. There are many ideas about how this rotation begins.

California ‘fire tornado’ had 143 mph winds, possibly state’s strongest twister ever. The devastating fire tornado that spun up during the Carr Fire last week had 143 mph winds, according to a preliminary report from the National Weather Service Thursday.

When atmospheric lift (a term to describe how weather systems help trigger storms) is present, the ground conditions are not favorable for tornadic development. California is a dry state (even without the drought) making it difficult for tornadoes to develop with significant frequency.

Tornadoes in California are not unheard of. The state averages a dozen or so tornadoes per year, most of them quick-hitting and weak. Most form in the Central Valley, where low-level southerly winds are accelerated up the length of the valley. Storms in California do occasionally rival those of Tornado Alley.

It is true that tornadoes can move along the ground at up to 70 miles per hour and can change course unpredictably, but most cars can easily top 70 mph if no traffic gets in the way. “You can outrun a tornado, but you have to know what you’re doing,” Carbin tells Popular Mechanics.

Things to Avoid Doing During a Tornado

• Not taking tornado warnings seriously. There are tornado warning false alarms all of the time.
• Look out the window.
• Open the windows of your house.
• Try to outrun a tornado.
• Take cover underneath an overpass.

Extreme heat is the most common cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States. Since 1988, there have been 3,806 heat-related fatalities compared to 830 deaths attributable to extreme cold.

Go to the basement or an inside room without windows on the lowest floor (bathroom, closet, center hallway). If possible, avoid sheltering in a room with windows. For added protection get under something sturdy (a heavy table or workbench).

The idea of opening windows and doors in the event of a tornado – an effort to “equalize pressure” is a waste of time, NOAA said. “Opening the windows is absolutely useless, a waste of precious time, and can be very dangerous. Don’t do it. You may be injured by flying glass trying to do it.

While both types of storms are capable of producing destructive winds, tornadoes can become stronger than hurricanes. The most intense winds in a tornado can exceed 300 miles per hour, while the strongest known Atlantic hurricane contained winds of 190 miles per hour.

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