(This blog was originally posted on December 15, 2014)
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| Photo courtesy of Microsoft |
Waterspouts,
which are tornadoes that form over the ocean, are often reported off the coast
of Southern California during the winter. However, it is very rare that a
tornado actually hits a major California city. But that is exactly what
happened on Friday, December 12, 2014: a twister touched down in South Los
Angeles suburb. The National Weather
Service classified it as an EF0, which is the lowest rank with winds
measuring 65-85 miles per hour. Regardless of the wind speed, this phenomenon
was not something that most Los
Angeles residents are used to seeing let alone experiencing. Sure, we get the
occasional downdraft during a heavy rainstorm in a mild or weak El
Nino season. But this time it really was
a tornado that ripped rooftops off of homes, knocked down trees and damaged
several cars that were in its path.
According to ABC7
meteorologist Dallas
Raines, the part of California where this one struck is actually a kind of
“hot spot” for wild weather: a hot spot west of the Mississippi River that is. One
resident who got caught in the storm video-recorded the entire event from his
home. His footage showed debris swirling in the air and the sound of rushing
wind and banging as airborne objects crashed into each other.
Now, I am
fascinated by weather—especially extreme
weather. However, on Friday I was equally if not more curious to hear and read about
eye-witness reactions to the storm. Most of the people who were interviewed for
the evening news expressed surprise, shock and fear about what they had gone
through. After all, most of us associate tornadoes with states like Kansas,
Oklahoma and even Florida. Not California. We get earthquakes. In fact, one woman
explained that her first impression of the tornado was that she was
experiencing an earthquake because her house was shaking so hard. Apparently she
even sought shelter under a piece of furniture to wait out the movement, just
as California residents are taught to do.
This witness’s
initial reaction made complete sense to me. After all, California is known for its
earthquakes. They happen every day whether we feel them or not. Residents are
often reminded to keep emergency supplies on-hand and even rehearse plans to
reconnoiter with family members and escape the danger zone after a major tremor.
The knowledge that “the big one is coming” becomes so ingrained in our
subconscious mental script that if significant time passes without experiencing
any kind of tremor, our collective anticipatory anxiety increases. Some people
associate earthquakes with specific weather, such as extreme heat that
continues over extended periods of time. But this was no earthquake, and the idea of a tornado happening in Los Angeles, California was so far out of most people’s experience or
expectations made it that much more terrifying.
Fortunately no
one was seriously injured or died during the storm. And next time dark clouds
move in, everyone in the state will have a new script they can refer to if the
weather looks like it might become severe. Extreme weather can happen anywhere,
even in Southern California. Next time, we will have a better idea about what
the warning signs are so we can stay safe until the sun comes out again.
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in
Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation
Institute in 2005. For more
information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an
appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
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