A pair of tornadoes touched down a few hours apart near Fresno on Tuesday, in a rare weather afternoon for that part of the Central Valley.<\/p>\n
The first was reported around 2:20 p.m., when law enforcement observed a tornado over Biola, 9 miles west of Fresno.\u00a0When initially sighted, the tornado was moving northeast at 15 mph and was expected to cross Highway 99 south of Madera.<\/p>\n
The sky remained extremely dark in the area shortly before 3 p.m. The tornado appeared to have lifted off\u00a0– the National Weather Service\u00a0said that at 2:49 p.m., “a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado\u00a0was located near Bonadelle Ranchos-Madera Ranchos, or 8 miles\u00a0northwest of Fresno, moving northeast at 15 mph.”<\/p>\n
Tornadoes can lift up and touch back down.<\/p>\n
The first warning expired at 3 p.m.<\/p>\n
Then, with a severe thunderstorm warning in effect for Fresno, Madera and Merced counties, another tornado was reported at about 5:15 p.m. near\u00a0Auberry and Tollhouse, about 35 miles northeast of Fresno. Residents saw the tornado nine miles northeast of Clovis, moving northeast at 20 miles per hour,\u00a0NWS reported.<\/p>\n
“Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter,” according to the weather service, which also warned of hail. “Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely.”<\/p>\n
That warning had expired by 5:45 p.m.<\/p>\n
The weather service had also advised people in the tornado’s path to take cover immediately.<\/p>\n
“TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows,” the alert said. “If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.<\/p>\n
“Motorists should not take shelter under highway overpasses. If you cannot safely drive away from the tornado, as a last resort, either park your vehicle and stay put, or abandon your vehicle and lie down in a low lying area and protect yourself from flying debris.”<\/p>\n
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said it had no immediate reports of injuries or damage.<\/p>\n
Conditions remained right for isolated strong thunderstorms in the Central Valley through Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n
A short-lived tornado also touched down in the Central Valley last week. Spring is the most common time of year for tornadoes in the Central Valley.<\/p>\n
People can receive notifications for severe weather in multiple ways:<\/p>\n
The National Weather Service’s Bay Area<\/a> office provides information online, including on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>. Local agencies, like the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management<\/a>, also give storm safety tips.<\/p>\n Local TV and radio stations routinely share official weather service watches and warnings.<\/p>\n Wireless emergency alerts<\/a> and weather apps can provide notifications directly to mobile phones, and NOAA Weather Radio<\/a> broadcasts continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service office.<\/p>\n Brooke Park and Greg Porter contributed reporting.<\/p>\n