Small tornado warning issued in Tehama County, residents urged to seek shelter

A small tornado briefly touched down Monday afternoon in rural Tehama County north of Sacramento, though it’s not clear if it caused any damage. A second tornado warning was issued just a few minutes later.

The National Weather Service urged residents to seek shelter after a storm cell capable of a tornado was spotted forming at 2:38 p.m. near the town of Vina, 11 miles east of Corning.

The cell was moving northeast at 30 mph.

“TAKE COVER NOW!” the weather service said in an online alert. “Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobilehome, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.”

The warning was set to expire at 3:15 p.m. The National Weather Service said it was looking into whether it caused any damage.

Footage a storm chaser posted on Twitter from his vehicle showed a gray funnel cloud appearing to touch down in unpopulated farmland. A few minutes later, the Weather Service issued a second tornado warning for east central Tehama and north central Butte counties after another cell formed seven miles west of Butte Meadows.

The second cell was moving northeast at 20 mph. That warning was set to expire at 4 p.m.

This story was originally published January 4, 2021 at 3:03 PM.