Residents were unsettled after a tornado landed at Pico Rivera early Thursday morning, leaving a trajectory of destruction.
Around 3:15am, the tornado was a Fujita-scale EF-0, reinforced with wind speeds of up to 85 mph, landed in the 9500 block of Glencannon Drive.
The National Weather Service confirmed this.
The twister lasted about two minutes, knocking over trees and power lines, tearing the sidewalks, fences and structures. Several water pipes also burst, officials said.
No human or animal injuries have been reported. The tornado arrived during a powerful storm that struck the Southern California area.
Some fallen trees, many of them large pine, landing on a parked vehicle, crushing the windshield and damaging the roof.
The crew are working to remove a large pine tree from Glencannon Drive after a tornado landed in Pico Rivera, California on March 13, 2025. The tornado fell in Pico Rivera, California (AP Photo/Damiand Bargan) on March 13, 2025, and a large tree fell after a tornado touched it in Pico Rivera on March 13, 2025. Black Hiromoto stands under a damaged awning with Susie Gonzalez after a tornado passed in Pico Rivera, California on Thursday, March 13, 2025. March 13, 2025 (KTLA) Crews are working to remove large pine trees from Glencannon Drive after a tornado landed in Pico Rivera, California on March 13, 2025. There was a tornado in Pico Rivera on March 13th, 2025 (Carolina Roberts) Home Surveillance Video filmed the moment the tornado landed in the Pico Rivera area on March 13th, 2025. A tree was knocked down after a tornado landed in a neighborhood in Pico Rivera on March 13, 2025. (KTLA) Crews defeated the trees after a tornado landed in the Pico Rivera neighborhood on March 13, 2025. Trees after falling into the street during a storm in Pico Rivera, California (AP Photo/Damiand Bargagen) on Thursday, March 13, 2025 show damage from a tornado in Pico Rivera on March 13, 2025. Several homes were seen after a tornado landed in the Pico Rivera neighborhood on March 13, 2025. (KTLA)
Residents of the area recall the moment they heard a short but surprising tornado touchdown.
“I hear this loud noise and walk to the living room window,” recalls one neighbor. “I open it and see this tree spread out in my front yard.”
“Me and my wife, we thought it was an earthquake,” said Adrian Campos, a resident of the home’s surveillance cameras captured the tornado.
The NWS later dispatched a team of six meteorologists to investigate the damage that spanned four blocks.
“We are still thinking about the possibility that showers and storms could produce strong gusts of wind, small h, and even today, they were unable to eliminate some funnel clouds, perhaps another small, short, weak tornado,” said NWS meteorologist Ariel Cohen. “The main message is that people need to prepare and prepare. Go in, get off and hide.”
KTLA meteorologist Henry DiCarlo spoke about what weather officials are looking for.
“They can look at the path of damage and damage and decide whether it’s just a downburst or a swirling tornado,” DiCarlo said.
The tornado remains uncommon in Los Angeles County, but the last reported tornado was in March 2023 when the EF1 Twister landed in Montebello. It was the strongest weather event that will affect the LA Metro area in 40 years.
“We are grateful that no injuries have been reported,” said Mayor Pico Rivera John R. Garcia. “We would like to praise our emergency responders and city officials for their immediate actions to keep our community safe. Our top priority is to address all the dangers and ensure that the utilities are restored as soon as possible.”
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