Tornadoes strike Southern California, causing damage and injuries.

Two tornadoes caused significant damage in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties this week, but tornadoes are not as rare in California as many might think. There are an average of one or two tornadoes per year in the four-county area including Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, and an average of seven to 10 per year across the state. The tornado that hit Montebello this week was the strongest to hit the Los Angeles area since March 1983. Tornadoes in California tend to be weak, short-lived, and difficult to predict.