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California BOMB CYCLONE kills 5 in Bay Area as trees topple, Montebello tornado injures 1 after buildings damaged

Eleven buildings in Montebellow were red-tagged, making them dangerous to inhabit while six other buildings were damaged, as per reports

CALIFORNIA: A terror "bomb cyclone" that hit California on Wednesday, March 22 claimed the lives of at least five people. The San Francisco Bay Area and the Los Angeles regions were devastated by the storm with violent winds and tornadoes on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Wow, even by the standards of what has turned out to be one of our most extraordinary winter seasons in a very long time, yesterday stands out," the National Weather Service stated. According to ABC7, the storm in Los Angeles tore the roofs off of several commercial buildings and injured one individual in Montebello.

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'People struck by falling trees'

The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado struck neighboring Carpinteria on Tuesday, damaging more than a dozen homes. Carpinteria is situated northwest of Montebello and northwest of Los Angeles. In the meantime, CBS reported that five persons in the Bay Area and nearby communities were killed by crashing trees. In two distinct incidents, two individuals were struck by falling trees and died in San Francisco. The victims were not quickly identified. Another unnamed victim was slain by a falling tree in Oakland, across the bay. He was declared dead at the scene. Jesus Ivan Cruz-Diaz, 29, was reportedly killed on Tuesday when a tree fell on his van, according to San Mateo County officials. Thomas Huster also died in Contra Costa County when a tree collapsed on his car. 

Tornado hits Montebello

The tornado struck around 11.20 am PT on Wednesday, March 22, according to the National meteorological Service, which described it as an unusual meteorological phenomenon. One person was injured after a tornado struck Montebello area on Wednesday. The extent of his injuries have not been disclosed. Eleven buildings were red-tagged, making them dangerous to inhabit while six other buildings were damaged, as per reports. In terms of specific damage, the tornado took the roofs off of several industrial buildings. Large metal fragments from the building were thrown about the parking area, shattering several cars.

A social media user uploaded a frightening video of the tornado.

'Repeated storms have been very challenging'

More than 700 reports of collapsed trees have been received by authorities in the San Francisco region. London Breed, the mayor of San Francisco, issued a statement following the devastating storms. "We tragically lost two lives due to yesterday’s dangerous storm that hit San Francisco. These repeated storms have been very challenging and caused severe conditions that our city crews are working to assess," Breed said in his tweet. "Thank you to all of our public workers who have been out cleaning up damage as quickly as possible and keeping residents safe."

'2012 coming to life'

Videos and pictures of the catastrophe have been uploaded on the Internet in abundance, and many people have expressed shock. A user tweeted, "California is at the end of times, snow storms, major rain storms and now tornadoes. That state is done for." Another user said, "Has LA ever even SEEN a tornado?! Holy crap." Another person noted, "2012 coming to life." "Reminds me of the 2004 movie 'The Day After Tomorrow'! Hmmm planetary changes," another commented. Another user claimed, "Rain, snow, tornadoes… what’s next." A user wrote, "California is damned!' Another said, "Fire, floods, and tornadoes are warnings from God! Turn from the wicked ways!"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.