The fresno tornado warning for Fresno County was allowed to expire at 5:45 p.m., the National Weather Service Hanford CA said after the storm prompting the alert weakened below severe limits.
The NWS added the storm no longer appeared capable of producing a tornado, but it warned small hail, gusty winds and heavy rain were still possible with the thunderstorm.
Authorities urged people to seek shelter during the warning, recommending basements, safe rooms or interior rooms without windows if indoors, and following workplace or school tornado protocols where they apply, according to the NWS Hanford CA.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends keeping a basic disaster kit with water, three days of food, a cell phone and chargers, a battery-powered radio, flashlight, first-aid kit and other essentials for tornado scenarios.
Regional Top Stories And Local Impacts
Cellphone alerts and a brief shelter-in-place order disrupted parts of the Fresno area as the warning triggered local responses, with Clovis Unified issuing a roughly 30-minute shelter-in-place, as reported by The Fresno Bee.
A funnel cloud was spotted near Highway 99 and Herndon, witnesses reported, but it dissipated before touching down, The Fresno Bee said, noting the Central Valley typically sees one or two tornado reports a year and the most recent Fresno County tornado occurred in Clovis in 2019.
The Fresno Bee also reported several other prominent local stories shaping the day. Armando Arias Jr., owner of Tacos El Cabezon, was found safe after going missing, but his downtown restaurant is closed and he faces a $507,058.48 court judgment from an Ohio case and an eviction demanding $8,500 in unpaid rent at the Maroa and Shaw location.
Hanford’s Superior Dairy temporarily closed for major renovations under new owners the Zonneveld family, with plans to restore indoor dining, preserve pink seating and serve ice cream from a pink trailer during the work, The Fresno Bee reported.
Fresno police responded to an armed robbery at the PNC Bank at Shaw and Palm avenues after a suspect produced a firearm and fled on foot wearing a black hoodie, dark pants and a surgical-type mask, with the stolen amount undisclosed, The Fresno Bee said.
The Fresno Bee reported governance changes could be coming at the Fresno State Foundation as term limits return, potentially affecting long-serving members including chair Vinci Ricchiuti, and noted a Cal State chancellor’s office review found weaknesses that left the foundation vulnerable to financial and reputational risk.
