Severe thunderstorm warnings hit Santa Barbara County Tuesday night, with hail, heavy rain, 70-mph winds and tornados possible, the National Weather Service said.
The Los Angeles regional office, based in Oxnard, issued alerts and interrupted television broadcasts with the warning messages.
The warnings for Santa Maria, Orcutt, Guadalupe, Vandenberg Village, Lompoc and southwestern San Luis Obispo County were in effect until about 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Then warnings were issued for Santa Barbara, Goleta and Gaviota through 11 p.m. Tuesday, with wind gusts up to 70 mph expected.
Damage was expected to trees, roofs and siding. The night’s storm was already expected to have strong winds with 40 mph gusts, meteorologist Ryan Kittell had said earlier in the day.
“Remain alert for a possible tornado!” the NWS said in its warning. “Tornadoes can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the basement or small central room in a sturdy structure. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.”
Kittell said warnings are issued when there’s something significant on the radar, such as a spinning storm. If people receive an emergency alert for a tornado warning or severe thunderstorm warning, “the best thing to do is get inside and get away from windows until it passes,” he said.