UPDATE - Representatives from the National Weather Service have confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down in Grover Beach on Wednesday.
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ORIGINAL STORY - Downed trees, power poles, powerlines, and damaged buildings were reported throughout the city of Grover Beach after a powerful storm moved through the area Wednesday afternoon.
According to the National Weather Service, a broken line of convective showers developed over the coastal waters of San Luis Obispo County, then moved onshore and brought moderate to briefly heavy showers, gusty winds, and hail.
Grover Beach Police Commander Jim Munro told KSBY News no injuries were reported.
However, the storm knocked out power for many residents in the area.
“There was a large storm that passed through, causing quite a bit of damage,” Munro said. “No injuries, which is good, that we had reported yet, but we have quite a bit of damage to power lines, trees down… We're working right now with our city services to try and take care of all those problems, open up the streets and, you know, hopefully get power back on shortly.”
Grover Beach resident Bryan Murphy said the rain came down so quickly, he wasn't even aware of the damage being done.
“Honestly, I couldn't see anything because the rain was pouring so hard on my windows and I had no idea that all this damage had occurred until I came to take the dog for a walk,” Murphy said.
Anthony Johnson, a long-time Grover Beach resident, said the debris seen across the town was disheartening.
“It's honestly really sad to see,” Johnson said.
He said the power was out at his work.
“Pretty soon after that, the massive wind hit and it's just like everything shut off,” Johnson said. “We had lost power a few days ago as well, but it was from early in the morning to mid-afternoon, so it came back on pretty quickly. It's just from here. We're still trying to get all the power back up and running and if not, then we'll be back tomorrow.”
Others suggested taking shelter during strong storms.
“Weather is still a little bit changeable right now and unpredictable, so I've been saying to people, look, if you see it go that way, go for shelter,” said Debbie Peterson, Grover Beach resident. “Don't stay out here, so hopefully people will take advice.”
The National Weather Service is planning to conduct a damage survey on Thursday, February 8, to determine if the damage in this area was due to a tornado or severe straight-line winds.
