Tornado Touches Down In Colusa County
MAXWELL, Calif. (CBS13) -- Residents and motorists in northeastern Colusa County grabbed their cameras Monday afternoon as a tornado dropped out of a heavy thunderstorm cell, whipping up heavy winds but causing little damage.
The funnel cloud snaked down at around 3:00 p.m., touching down in a remote agricultural area outside of Maxwell but catching the attention of a number of startled people.
"Those clouds, I've never seen anything like it," said Sonny Sangha, who was driving to work in Maxwell. "Seemed like out of a movie or something."
The powerful storm system packed strong winds and nickel-to-quarter size hail as it traveled through Colusa and Butte counties, as well as a number of lightning strikes.
The National Weather Service confirmed the funnel clouds touched down after talking to a local rancher. The tornado was rated as an EF-0, the lowest designation for a twister.
"There is an orchard and an open field with grass, so it was an area where there weren't any structures to damage," said NWS spokesperson Eric Kurth.
The high winds tossed outdoor furniture around but didn't cause any other damage, resident Lane Lacroix said.
"I stood on the patio and watched it as it went right across the field," Lacroix said. He chased after the funnel cloud in his truck
Another funnel cloud was photographed further south, near Lodi, but it is unclear if any tornadoes touched down in the area.
