Scattered storms, lightning hit Southern California and prompt beach closures.
On Sunday morning, two strong storms, a potential nor’easter, hit Southern California. The first storm brought thunder, heavy rain, and a tornado warning and strong winds to the region, while the second storm brought even heavier rain and winds to the region. This storm later spawned several tornadoes, including a small EF0 tornado that hit an unincorporated area in Riverside County. This storm also caused three deaths from lightning and damage in Malibu, but luckily, only a couple of cars were damaged.
So, what prompted this lightning and thunder? Well, a meteorologist says “it’s likely that there were lots of these small, isolated storms around the time of the big one.”
“We know that storms bring people out in droves to the beach or out to dinner in Malibu, so there may have been a lot of lightning incidents related to this storm,” says Bruce Aiken, meteorologist and lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in Hemet, California. “If you’ve ever seen lightning strike in the area around Malibu, the power of the storm is incredible. It’s the same across the country in the South.”
“Now that thunder and lightning have the ability to do damage over distances of hundreds of miles, I expect that we will see more people coming to the beach, and more severe storms of lightning hitting the coast, says Aiken.
Lightning strikes usually occur at the height of a thunderstorm or within the first half hour after the storm, so during the storm, you’ll likely have lightening hitting people in Southern California throughout the day, especially in coastal areas like Malibu.
The National Weather Service has advised: “Wear common sense, bring water, and let your kids play near the ocean or your patio. Don’t be a stranger: Stay safe.”
For more on the storms that caused the lightning strikes, be sure to check out the
