Tornadoes hit and skip across Glenn, Butte counties
Tornadoes touched down in Ord Bend and Durham areas Wednesday evening, and later near Butte College. Orchards in Durham saw trees tumble, and power lines and tree limbs caused traffic snarls and concern throughout the area.
Heavy hail that came with the thunderstorm covered some areas like snow. Storm drains and ditches overflowed or were clogged, flooding roadways and parking lots.
Warnings first went out from the National Weather Service about 5 p.m., based on readings of Doppler radar, with the bad weather concentrated in Willows and moving to the northeast. A tornado was reported near the ground five miles east of Ord Bend by about 5:30, with another spotted three miles south of Ord Bend, according to the Weather Service. Glenn County Sheriff Larry Jones reported at 5:35 p.m. that five or six funnel clouds had been sighted in Glenn County. According to witnesses, at least one touched down on Highway 45 near Ord Bend. Jones said heavy hail on Interstate 5 near Willows had created a traffic hazard, with several vehicles reportedly sliding off the highway. The storm continued east at between 10-15 mph. Tornado touchdowns were reported in Durham, with damage in the Hanlon Road and Stanford Lane areas. Bob Paddock, who lives in the 2300 block of Hanlon Road, lost 22 acres of almonds, a fence, and had a barn and shed damaged. He was home with his two children and his wife when she noticed the sky swirling. They'd heard the tornado warning a half-hour earlier. He retrieved a dog from a kennel, and the family and dog took shelter in a closet in a newly-built home on the ranch. He said the storm sounded like a train, and estimated it last two or three minutes. Afterward, aluminum roofing from the barn could be seen wrapped around a telephone pole. Trees in the destroyed orchard were not blown over, but rather yanked out of the ground. Next door, a tree had blown onto a house. As that was happening, the sky blackened in south Chico, then hail pelted down intensely, along with rain, for about an hour. By 6:30 p.m., the skies cleared and a double rainbow gave the signal that the storm had passed. The storm continued east toward Butte College, where the tornado warning by the National Weather Service continued until 7:30 p.m. Reports of funnel clouds and tornados were reported in the Butte College/Table Mountain area. As the storm moved into the foothills it weakened and dissipated. Source: http://www.chicoer.com/breakingnews/ci_18143821 *Moderator's Note: Be sure to watch the tornado video that accompanies this article.... it is one that has not yet been posted on this email list.
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