Mendez said seeing a tornado in California was unsettling at first.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a little unnerving at first for a Californian but it was still pretty cool to see for the first time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In response to National Weather Service alerts<\/a>, Clovis Unified School District placed all schools in the district under a \u201cshelter in place.\u201d <\/p>\n A damage assessment team from the National Weather Service reported snapped and uprooted trees from the tornado that touched down east of Clovis (NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE).<\/p>\n ‘All schools in CUSD have been placed on Shelter in Place due to a region-wide tornado alert by the National Weather Service. Students will be held in classrooms until further notice, and schools won’t release students until further notice. Buses are delayed, and we will communicate with families,” CLOVIS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. <\/p>\n The situation was unfamiliar and frustrating for some parents. <\/p>\n Alexander Clark, a parent, said he questioned if school’s going on lockdown was necessary and warranted.<\/p>\n \u201cThey said a tornado was coming but, you know, we have beautiful clear skies in this area,” Clark said. “I don’t understand why they’re keeping my daughter against her will.”<\/p>\n Mendez also said he was surprised by the shelter-in-place order, but understood the district\u2019s caution.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were under a shelter in place, which was crazy, it’s not even near there but I figured out of precaution, that’s probably what they’re doing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n As the day went on, neighbors around the Valley continued posting their views of the sky. <\/p>\n Mendez said he used a drone to get a better look and was surprised by what he saw.<\/p>\n \u201cPopped it up, started looking to the west, and there (the tornado) was,” he said. “I was like, ‘Whoa, this is real, this is legit.”<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5952a38c-e28b-4530-8cf8-8fd326037a0e-nwsmap.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\n