Tornado did hit SLO County, National Weather Service confirms
The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado did touch down in Grover Beach on Wednesday.
According to a Grover Beach Police Department post on X on Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service “preliminary determined that the weather event that moved through Grover Beach yesterday was a low-end EF-1 tornado.”
The agency made the determination after reviewing damage and following the path of the storm that battered Grand Avenue in Grover Beach on Wednesday afternoon.
The Police Department said more information would be available on the confirmation soon.
The rare weather event toppled trees and power lines, mangled awnings and pulverized concrete in its wake, even shutting off power to thousands, as debris littered much of Grover Beach.
On Thursday, the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services said this was the first recorded tornado in the county in 20 years. The last occurred on Feb. 2, 2004.
What led up to tornado in Grover Beach?
In its first incident report, the Weather Service said a fast-moving low-pressure system brought a broken line of convective showers over San Luis Obispo County coastal waters Wednesday afternoon.
The showers continued to move onshore around 4 p.m. “bringing moderate to briefly heavy showers, gusty winds and hail.”
The agency said radar data indicated isolated wind gusts as high as 60 mph, bringing with them the potential for waterspouts and “brief tornadoes.”
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning, a special weather statement and a special marine warning for the coastal waters.
Soon after, multiple reports of wind damage including lines of downed trees, knocked-down power poles and power lines, and damaged buildings were reported in the Grover Beach and Pismo Beach area, the Weather Service said.
The storm damage included a collapsed wall on Grand Avenue that briefly trapped two people in a building, a shelter-in-place order for an Arroyo Grande neighborhood with downed lines, and power outages across San Luis Obispo County.
This story was originally published February 8, 2024 at 1:09 PM.
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