Los Angeles Facing Rare Tornado Risk As Strong Storms Move Through West Coast

A strong storm system moving into the West Coast will generate a rare risk of tornadoes Tuesday for Los Angeles.

The city has been included in a Level 1 risk area by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center, which is the lowest of their five-level scale. (RELATED: Woman Killed By Flying Solar Panel As Northeast Gets Blasted With Powerful Nor’easter)

“An isolated tornado and wind-damage threat will be possible Tuesday morning through midday along the coast in southern California,” wrote forecasters from SPC in the discussion speaking about the threat.

It’s the first time that Los Angeles has been in a zone for a tornado risk since Feb. 2023, according to FOX Forecast Center analysis.

🌧️A serious storm system will impact California over the next 48 hours, bringing gusty winds, hefty Sierra snows, potential flooding rains and even a tornado risk — including in Los Angeles!

MyRadar meteorologist @MatthewCappucci breaks down the latest. pic.twitter.com/2N29SIRNxb

— MyRadar Weather (@MyRadarWX) October 13, 2025

Despite being a rarity, twisters do take place in the area. The most recent case was a small tornado in Apr. 2025 in Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles area was hit in 2023 with the most powerful tornado they had seen in 40 years, which resulted in multiple Montbello buildings getting damaged and one person being injured.

Flooding will also be an issue for the Los Angeles area, as NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center put the region in a risk zone of Level 2. The agency’s scale is four levels total.

Some parts could see 1-4 inches of heavy rainfall that could trigger flash flooding, particularly in locations vulnerable because of burn scars, per the WPC.