The rare tornado that hit the Los Angeles area Wednesday was the strongest to hit the region in 40 years, officials said today.
The National Weather Service rated the Montebello twister as EF1, with winds of 110 mph. That made it the strongest tornado recorded in the area since an F2 caused major damage in March 1983.
The last time an EF1 tornado occurred in the area was in January 1998 in Long Beach, NWS said. The tornado that touched down in Montebello, about 12 miles southeast of downtown L.A., tore the roofs off buildings, damaged vehicles and wiped out trees.
County fire officials said one person was injured and that nearly a dozen of the 17 businesses examined by inspectors were red-tagged, meaning they are no longer suitable for occupation.
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