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Santa Cruz County Tornado Reached 90 Miles Per Hour, Injured 5

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Vehicles drive past downed and damaged power lines after a tornado hit Scott's Valley in Santa Cruz County.  (Scott's Valley Police Department)

Update 12:25 p.m. Sunday

The National Weather Service said a tornado that touched down in Santa Cruz County on Saturday afternoon had maximum wind speeds of 90 miles per hour.

The tornado, which briefly wreaked havoc in the small mountain town of Scotts Valley, injured five people, according to the Scotts Valley Police Department.

Of those injured, three individuals were transported to area medical facilities, with one being admitted for continued treatment,” the department said in a statement on Sunday. “Fortunately, there were no reported fatalities, and we are actively following up with the remaining injured parties to monitor their recovery and ensure their well-being.

Weather Service teams conducted a preliminary damage survey on Saturday and rated the tornado a weak EF1. The EF scale ranks tornados by damage and wind speed from zero to seven and 65 miles per hour to over 200 for a category seven.

They identified an area of damage near the intersection of Mount Hermon Road and Lockewood Lane and continued southeast along Mount Hermon Road until just short of Kings Village Road, according to a report posted on social media platform X on Saturday evening. Damage included downed trees, downed power poles, trees stripped of branches, numerous overturned vehicles and damaged street signs.

Original story, 5 p.m., Saturday

The tornado touched down at about 1:40 p.m. near a shopping center in Scotts Valley. Scenes of chaos posted to social media showed a leaning power pole, several flipped cars and ambulances responding to the scene.

In a Facebook post, the Scotts Valley Police Department said witnesses described a tornado throwing multiple cars off the road.

As of Saturday afternoon, PG&E reported that up to 5,000 people were without power in the area.

The National Weather Service issued a severe storm warning in the area about an hour before the twister formed.

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