Dec. 26 (UPI) — Fierce winter winds whipped up dangerous surf along the West Coast and spawned tornadoes in the South, killing one person on the California beach and causing tornadoes and flight delays in Texas.
The severe weather is blamed for multiple injuries and at least one death in California after a man was found under debris on the coast. Officials warned the public to remain vigilant because of the weather and to “never turn your back on the ocean.”
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning late Thursday afternoon for parts of Texas northeast of Houston, meaning weather radar indicated there was a tornado in the area. There were no immediate reports of damage.
By Thursday evening, more than a million people in the South were under tornado warnings, and 4 million people in southeast Texas faced the threat of severe weather.
“Thunderstorms will continue to pose a threat for a few tornadoes this evening and into the early overnight hours as they spread east-northeastward into parts of western and central Louisiana,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center said. “Damaging winds up to 60-65 mph and isolated hail may also occur,” it added.