Thunderstorm rages through Porterville, South County

A thunderstorm blew high winds and driving rain through Porterville tonight, flooding city streets overtaxed by a deluge of water.

The storm prompted a severe weather warning from the National Weather Service — which included details about possible tornado activity.

"This is a dangerous storm," the Weather Service reports. "If you are in its path, prepare immediately for damaging winds, destructive hail and deadly cloud-to-ground lightning. People outside should move to a shelter, preferably inside a strong building but away from windows."

As the storm passed through the area of Success Valley Drive, it ripped apart a 20-foot section of awning being built behind Mike McKenna’s home — lifting the building material over the house and depositing most of it in the front yard.

“When it hit, the whole place just shook,” McKenna said. “By the time I looked out there, it was raining really hard. There was lightning, rain, fires up here in the hills.

“I’ve never seen anything like it.”

McKenna said he’s not sure if the wind, a lightning strike or a combination of a lightning strike and the wind caused the damage.

“I don’t know what grabbed the awning and threw it over the other side,” he said.

The power was knocked out briefly during the storm, he said.

Power was also out in the area of Olive Avenue and Newcomb Street, including the traffic lights at some major intersections. Police were responding to at least two accidents in the area. Details on the accidents were not immediately available..

The storm prompted the National Weather Service to issue a severe thunderstorm warning at 8:23 p.m. By that time the storm had moved through Porterville and was about 7 miles southwest of Lindsay, with winds gusting to 60 mph. The storm was moving northwest at 25 mph.

Doppler radar indicates weak rotation within the storm, the National Weather Service reports.

"While not immediately likely, a tornado may still develop," the Weather Service warns. "If a tornado is spotted, act quickly and move to a place of safety in a sturdy structure such as a basement or small interior room.

As the thunderstorm was making its way through the eastern fringes of the South County, it may have caused a wildfire in the foothills southeast of Porterville. Power was also reportedly knocked out in Terra Bella as the storm made its way north through the South County.

Tulare County Fire Department crews were responding to the fire at about 7 p.m., making their way east on Highway 190, heading to the wildfire.

The fire — and the accompanying smoke, was visible from Riverwalk Marketplace at Highway 190 and Jaye Street in Porterville.
Information on the extent of the fire was not immediately available.

The timing of the fire coincides with a thunderstorm moving through the area. The skies above the location of the fire were darkened by storm clouds. The dark background was lit periodically by lightning, some snaking its way across the sky and some heading straight to the ground.

As the thunderstorm arrived in Porterville, it brought driving rain and high winds that felled some trees and blew branches off of several others across town and throughout the region. Several trees were reported down on Olive Avenue west of Mathew Street, partially blocking a westbound lane.

The National Weather Service in Hanford issued a special weather statement at 6 p.m. Thursday advising of scattered showers and thunderstorms throughout much of the interior Central Valley.

At the time, the affected area includes the southern Sierra Nevada. Movement was described as generally toward the northwest at about 15 mph.

Thunderstorms and showers were expected to calm after sunset.

The main threat from the storms will be hail, which could be as large as an inch in diameter, the Weather Service reported, in addition to gusty winds, frequent lightning and brief but heavy rain.

Weather were activated across the region, and were asked to relay any reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service through the amateur radio network or by phone.

Meanwhile the California Highway Patrol was responding to numerous incidents across the South County.

They included reported traffic hazards in the Porterville area at 7:58 p.m. Avenue 106 and Road 248, at 8:03 p.m. at Avenue 152 and Road 216, at 8:07 p.m. at Road 256 just south of Scranton Avenue, at 8:09 p.m. at Orange Belt Drive at Avenue 188, at 8:24 p.m. at Avenue 184 at Road 243, at 8:27 p.m. at Orange Belt Drive at Avenue 192, at 8:41 p.m. at Orange Belt Drive at Avenue 204, at 9:04 p.m. at Avenue 184 and Road 238, at 9:34 p.m. at Crawford Avenue at Indiana Street and at 10:31 p.m. at Orange Belt Drive and Avenue 181.

-- Contact Glen Faison at 784-5000, Ext. 1040, or gfaison@portervillerecorder.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This report is an updated version from three previous reports.