The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning for the Casmalia area in Santa Barbara County. It is valid until 10:30 AM local time.
Citizens have been asked to go to an interior room or closet on the lowest floor of a building to remain safe. Authorities have also urged people to avoid windows and go indoors if in a vehicle outside.
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The Red Cross Central tweeted the following:
A tornado warning has been issued for parts of Santa Barbara County, be sure you know what to do in the event of a tornado. 🌪️🚨
– Seek shelter away from windows
– Pull over if driving
– Bring animals indoors
– Secure any outdoor items
– Download the Red Cross emergency app
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People in southern San Luis Obispo County may have received a Wireless Emergency Alert from the National Weather Service related to the Tornado Warning. The warning was only for Santa Barbara County residents in the affected area, officials said.
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NWS meteorologist Ryan Kittel said satellite imagery showed a storm system approaching the coast near Casmalia that was actively spinning but once the storm system made landfall it dissipated.
“It was short-lived,” Kittell said. “It was spinning and that’s one of the ingredients for a tornado,” he added.
It’s unclear if there was any reported damage in Casmalia, north of Vandenberg Air Force Base. The region is likely to see intense showers and isolated thunderstorms over the ocean until 11 am. Those could result in dangerous cyclones. Extreme storms along the Central Coast could also bring damaging winds and small hail, warned weather officials. Coastal waters will remain particularly dangerous through Saturday.
Santa Barbara County’s coast has already seen significant rain and thunderstorms Friday morning accompanied by some minor flooding. Much of that area remained under a flood advisory through 10 am Friday, with warnings of heavy rainfall prompting shallow debris flows, especially in low-lying or steep terrain.
