Debris littered parts of the Los Angeles metropolitan area on Wednesday, March 22, after a powerful tornado, the strongest since March 1983, tore through the area, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

Footage captured by Candy Martinez shows debris hanging in trees in a parking lot in Montebello in the aftermath of Wednesday’s EF-1 tornado.

On Thursday, local media reported 11 businesses remained red-tagged, deemed unfit for entry. Additionally, the tornado ripped a roof off a building, shattered windows and scattered flying debris for several blocks, the report said.

In the preliminary assessment, the NWS said a total of 17 structures were damaged, a tree was uprooted and a power pole was snapped.

From 1950 to 2021, 44 tornadoes have been recorded in Los Angeles County, which averages to less than one per year. Most were classified as weak and resulted in few or no injuries, according to local weather archives. Credit: Candy Martinez via Storyful