Since last summer, San Francisco, California has received less than half the average amount of rainfall it usually sees over the course of one year. A supercell, which hit the mainland from the Pacific on Wednesday, however, has brought much needed rain, and more, to the Bay Area.
At 6:15 pm Wednesday afternoon, the city of Roseville, Ca experienced an EF-0 tornado, the lowest possible rating on the Enhanced Fujita scale.
Despite the weak strength of the tornado, a strip approximately 100 yards long and 10 to 20 yards wide suffered heavy damage from the strong winds. In total, 12 houses reported structural damage, and as many as six fences were destroyed by the tornado. One home, which had smashed windows and a large hole torn in a bedroom wall, suffered anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000 in damages, according to Roseville Fire Department spokesman Rob Baquera: “It kind of touched down pretty quickly and went back up. Roof tiles went flying off, solar panels … and a boat was lifted up and moved about six feet from where it was.”
While the damage caused by the tornado will take some time to recover from, California residents are happy to see the presence of much-needed precipitation.
Forecasters are predicting that the next week will be the wettest week for California to date this year. Wednesday saw areas receiving as much as three-quarters of an inch of rain, and more is yet to come.
Holly Osborne, a meteorologist with the weather service in Sacramento, believes that the Sacramento Valley could see one-half to more than one inch of rain before Sunday, with the Northern Bay Area experiencing as much as two inches of precipitation total: “We’re expecting unsettled weather even into early next week, so be prepared to bring your umbrella and rain boots,” predicted Osborne.
While many people see rain as an inconvenience, many Californians welcome the days to come:”So, I know people hate the rain here and I’m very not used to it. But at the same time, I’ve seen how low the water levels are. So hopefully this is getting over the mountains and into the reservoirs,” stated San Francisco resident Mike Vladimer.
While tornadoes are a rare occurrence in California, from 1950-2004 more than 303 tornadoes were recorded in “The Golden State”, with more and more tornadoes being recorded in recent years.
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