Storm chaser travels 10 hours to Central Valley, captures tornado up close

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A antheral from Portland, Oregon, caught the moments an EF-1 tornado formed on Highway 168 adjacent Clovis connected Tuesday evening.

DL Scales of West Coast Storm Chasers says Monday, helium started driving towards the Central Valley, intentionally trying to enactment himself successful the way of the tempest with the customized conveyance helium utilized to pursuit it.

"A fewer days ago, I noticed connected the upwind models that determination was signs of a terrible upwind lawsuit coming up successful Central California. So I benignant of took the stake that thing absorbing was going to happen. So I made the 10-hour thrust down, and it paid off," said Scales.

The nonrecreational tempest chaser is capturing video portion driving done the unsafe weather. That video already has implicit 30,000 views connected YouTube.

But it was besides a adjacent telephone for adjacent residents.

"It was a weaker tornado, but it tin inactive bash harm to roofs, propulsion cars around, things similar that," said Action News Meteorologist Christine Gregory.

One household experienced that first-hand. Their barn was blown disconnected the ground, narrowly missing their home.

Several household members were wrong but nary 1 was hurt.

And the tornado adjacent Clovis wasn't the lone 1 successful the Central Valley connected Tuesday. Action News recovered a location damaged successful Fresno County, eastbound of Biola, aft reports that a tornado had touched down determination earlier successful the day.

Across the thoroughfare from that, an almond orchard with respective trees uprooted.

The National Weather Service is present confirming that an EF-0 touched down.

They besides confirmed a 3rd twister, the strongest of them all, damaged parts of Atwater successful Merced County.

But the funnel that touched down successful Clovis was the closest we've seen caught connected camera. And Scales said that happened wholly by accident, portion pursuing hail.

"Since I was livestreaming, I thought, 'Oh, you know, the assemblage mightiness admit if we spell spot immoderate hail.' I crook astir that country and it's crossing the road," helium said.