1983 South Central Los Angeles Tornado

A significant tornado outbreak sequence took place on March 1, 1983 in South Central Los Angeles (today known as South Los Angeles). The tornado commenced around 7:40 AM during commute time in the Los Angeles Neighborhood of South Park. The tornado traveled north towards USC, narrowly missing the campus, and continued northbound towards iconic Los Angeles buildings. The tornado dissipated at the Los Angeles Convention Center, which took heavy damage and served as a line of defense for some skyscrapers.

The Los Angeles, California Tornado of March 1, 1983
TypeTornado outbreak sequence
Formed1 March 1983 (1983-03-01)
Highest winds
Tornadoes
confirmed		2
Max. rating1F2 tornado
Duration of
tornado outbreak2		25 min.
Fatalities9
Damage$5-$50 million (1983)
Areas affectedSouth Central Los Angeles and Downtown Los Angeles
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
2Time from first tornado to last tornado

Summary

The meteorological event of March 1, 1983, was a tornado with a vortex rotating cyclonically (counterclockwise) with vortex wind speeds probably in excess of 113 mph. Its lifetime was about 20 to 25 minutes, from about 7:40 to 8:05 a.m. The associated damage is assessed at F2 on the Fujita scale. Given the weather data available at the time, particularly the radar reports of cloud tops at only 5,500 m, a tornado forecast or warning would have been difficult to justify on the basis of our current understanding of tornadoes.[1][2]

Nine people were killed, 32 were injured, and 150 buildings were damaged.[3]

See also

References
  1. Hart, Gary C. The Los Angeles, California Tornado of March 1, 1983. Los Angeles, Committee on Natural Disasters Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems National Research Council, 1985.
  2. March 1983: The Day a Frightening Force of Nature Rampaged Through Los Angeles. (2019, February 29). In NBC Los Angeles. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/1983-los-angeles-tornado-weather/5960/
  3. "March 1983: The Day a Frightening Force of Nature Rampaged Through Los Angeles".
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