A tornado injured one person and destroyed five homes early Saturday morning in Nevada County as thunderstorms moved across the state, authorities said.
Alex Young, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the tornado struck at about 5:40 a.m. 2 miles west-northwest of Willisville.
David Gummeson, the Nevada County office of emergency management coordinator, said the injured person is a resident of the mobile home and was inside it during the tornado.
The person, who was not identified, was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment, Gummeson said. He said he did not know the extent of the person’s injuries.
Four other homes — three mobile homes and one house — were also damaged, Gummeson said. By the time he surveyed the area, Gummeson said, the residents of the impacted homes had found neighbors to stay with.
“I’m really happy to see the community step up and help their neighbor,” he said. Still, he expressed concern for the remainder of the tornado season.
“I hope this is not a precursor for what’s to come,” he said.
The tornado caused ground damage such as bent, twisted or snapped trees over an area of just shy of 10,000 feet, he said. There were also downed electrical posts and fences, Gummeson said.
Rafael Escalera Montoto
Rafael is a crime and breaking news reporter at the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Before joining the Democrat-Gazette, he wrote breaking news and feature stories at Reuters in Mexico City, where he covered a range of topics across Central and South America. He has also covered housing, education, business and other topics at The Baltimore Banner. He is a graduate of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York (CUNY) and is from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
