The tornado blew through until 8:30 a.m. Saturday, and fire and emergency crews were called to more than 100 locations where there was property damage.
The force of the wind was so strong that cargo containers overturned at the Port of Oakland, killing one person and taking two others to the hospital.
The tornado caused significant damage to the area. We are shocked by this emergency, and our thoughts are with the victims,” said a Port of Oakland spokesman.
Emergency responders said they arrived on the scene of an “industrial accident” at the Port of Oakland Saturday morning.
“A tornado hit residential streets in South Oakland. Trees were ripped out by the roots. Cars were crushed by power poles. It’s just crazy,” said local resident Heather Haylock.
She said she initially mistook the sound of the roaring wind for motorcycles rushing down her street, but then the lights started flickering. The mother and child sleeping next door barely escaped injury after a piece of wood hit the bedroom window where they were sleeping.
Another resident said nothing was left of his neighbor’s roof. Most of the damage occurred in the southern suburb of Papatote. More than 20 fire and ambulance crews have been dispatched to the area, and cleanup and repairs are expected to take several weeks.
