Extreme wind event, possibly a tornado, tears roofs off homes at Oxnard mobile home park
A mobile home park in Oxnard was hit by an extreme wind event that meteorologists were describing as a "possible weak tornado," which tore roofs off homes and ripped power cables to the ground Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
The damage took place while wide swaths of Ventura and Los Angeles counties were under flash flood and severe thunderstorm warnings amid a powerful atmospheric river storm.
The Ocean-Aire Mobile Home Estates in Oxnard was hit by fearsome 60-mph wind gusts shortly after 3:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Around a dozen properties were damaged as well as carports, awnings and power lines.
The park is at 2250 Butler Road, near Oxnard Boulevard and Pleasant Valley Road, and provides a valuable source of affordable housing for families and seniors.
No injuries were reported at the park, but the area remained without electricity around 6 p.m., according to reporting from the Ventura County Star.
Meteorologist Carol Smith said the weather service intended to assess the damage Friday and determine whether there was indeed a weak tornado at the park.
She said this was probably what happened based on the weather patterns seen on radar and the fact that roofs were ripped off buildings, which typically doesn't happen from strong winds alone.
"Sometimes when you have really strong [wind] uplift and there's strong thunderstorms or a collection of storms, you can get this [wind] rotation," she said, describing how the tornado may have formed.
The weather service had warned about the possibility of tornadoes when issuing a severe thunderstorm warning for L.A. County on Thursday afternoon.
Mobile home parks have been hard hit during the extreme weather events Southern California has experienced this year.
Read more: 'We're all freaking out.' For mobile home residents, few answers after Palisades fire
More than 300 mobile homes were destroyed in the Palisades fire in January, which wiped out a rare pocket of affordable housing by the beach in Pacific Palisades.
Many former residents of the Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates and Tahitian Terrace mobile home park are now struggling to find housing within their budgets.
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Still hot and humid in Central Florida with some afternoon storm risk
Sunday conditions in Central Florida will be similar to recent hot and humid days along with a chance for showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne. 'While not everywhere across east central Florida will see shower and storm activity, the highest chances for rain and storms continues to be focused near and north of the I-4 corridor,' forecasters said. 'This is where the sea breeze collision is anticipated to occur and is also where the greatest moisture resides across east central Florida based on model guidance.' Highs will be in upper 80s to low 90s, which is near normal for this time of year, but the humidity will help drive the heat indices, or 'feels-like' temperatures, to 100-103. 'Additionally, there is a moderate heat risk across most of the area, meaning that heat stress is a concern for those spending extended periods of time outdoors, especially for groups typically sensitive to heat,' forecasters said. 'Adequate hydration and taking frequent breaks in the shade or an air conditioned building will help to mitigate heat stress.' Overnight lows will be in the low to mid 70s with muggy conditions to continue through the overnight hours.
Axios
16 hours ago
- Axios
New Orleans hits 110°F heat index and it's just the beginning
This summer has a 50% chance of being hotter than average in New Orleans and most of Louisiana, according to the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center. Why it matters: Extreme heat is a major public health threat. It also threatens the reliability of the power grid. The big picture: New Orleans over the weekend had its first heat advisory of the season. New Orleans tied the high temp record on Saturday of 95°F. The "feels like" temp was 110°F at the airport and lakefront, according to the National Weather Service in Slidell. Temperatures are expected to be in the high-80s and low-90s all week, with daily thunderstorms possible, NWS says. The cloud cover should keep the "feels like" temp around 108°F. Yes, but: This is just the start. July and August are historically the hottest months of the year in New Orleans. Threat level: The heat has already been deadly this year. A toddler died Sunday in Hammond after being left in a hot car for more than nine hours, authorities say. Last year, 51 people died in Louisiana from heat-related causes, according to the state health department. How to protect yourself: If you are outside in the heat, drink plenty of water, wear lightweight clothes, apply sunscreen and take frequent breaks in the shade or AC, officials say. Summer's getting hotter Zoom out: Like most of the country, summer has been getting hotter in New Orleans over the past 50 years, a recently updated analysis found. The average summer temperature in New Orleans is now 4°F hotter than it was in 1970, according to Climate Central, a nonprofit climate research and communications group, using NOAA data through 2024. Zoom out: On top of rising overall temperatures, New Orleans is the among the worst " heat island" communities among all major U.S. metros, according to Climate Central. 77% of New Orleanians live in urban heat island neighborhoods, the group says. New Orleans can be more than 8°F warmer than surrounding tree-covered communities, mostly due to a lack of permeable surface. Go deeper. How to cool off Go deeper
New York Times
19 hours ago
- New York Times
Storms Are Expected in Washington, D.C., on Saturday
There is a significant chance of rain across the Washington, D.C., area on Saturday, the National Weather Service said, and thunderstorms late in the afternoon or evening could coincide with events near the National Mall to mark the U.S. Army's 250th birthday. Thunderstorms can bring a variety of threats, including hail, lightning and damaging winds. Jeremy Geiger, a meteorologist at the Weather Service office that covers Baltimore and Washington, said the agency predicted up to an 80 percent chance of rain during the afternoon and evening. 'I think it's going to rain based on everything I'm seeing, but there is a small chance that it just misses parts of the District,' Mr. Geiger said on Saturday morning. Conditions are expected to be cloudy and humid for much of the day, with a high temperature of about 83 degrees Fahrenheit. Skies were cloudy on Saturday morning but conditions were dry. Scattered thunderstorms will come from northern Maryland as the day progresses, and it's difficult to predict their exact trajectory and where the heaviest impact will be, Mr. Geiger said. 'It could be anywhere within a 50-mile area from just south of D.C. up to Baltimore,' he said. Rainfall amounts are mostly likely to range from a half inch to 1.5 inches, but Mr. Geiger said there's a 'reasonable worst-case scenario' of 2 to 4 inches, possibly even up to 6 inches, if the capital falls within the bull's-eye of the heaviest thunderstorms. Forecast risk of severe storms for Saturday Some Moderate High Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
