Apparent Tornado in Alturas Tuesday Reminder of Dangers of Severe Weather

An apparent tornado spawned by a line of strong thunderstorms touched down in the Alturas area Tuesday around 5:30 p.m. Luckily the funnel struck in a rural, agricultural area and there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Witnesses traveling along the Alturas-Babson Park Cutoff Road, often referred to locally as "ABC" road, saw the funnel moving through the sky, and photos show it stirring up a cloud of condensation and debris at ground level. The funnel appeared to pass directly over Long Lake, briefly becoming a waterspout.

The storm is a reminder that severe weather can strike at any time during summer thunderstorms. The remainder of this week is expected to see fewer, but potentially stronger, storms due to a layer of dryer air in the mid-levels of the atmosphere. A moister air mass will return over the weekend, leading to widespread rains, according to forecasters.

The tornado came in the midst of a Hurricane season that has maintained an eerie quiet since the late June formation of Hurricane Beryl, which rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm, at one point packing winds of more than 150 miles per hour.

Beryl caused catastrophic damage on several of the Windward Islands and Jamaica before weakening somewhat as it slammed into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. It eventually struck Galveston and Houston, Texas, killing at least 20 and causing widespread flooding.

The origin of the storm near the Cabo Verde Islands came freakishly early in the season, causing a great deal of angst among forecasters who feared that it signaled an extremely-active African storm season. That has not come to pass, as the Bermuda High has exerted a strong influence over the Atlantic, stifling the further formation of storms.

The Atlantic Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Florida residents should always have a Hurricane plan and critical supplies on hand in case of emergencies.