A severe weather incident, believed to be a possible tornado, struck the Ocean-Aire Mobile Home Estates in Oxnard on Thursday afternoon, causing extensive damage to approximately a dozen properties.
The powerful wind gusts, reaching speeds of 60 mph, tore roofs off homes and brought down power lines at the mobile home park located at 2250 Butler Road. The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. while parts of Ventura and Los Angeles counties were under flash flood and severe thunderstorm warnings during an atmospheric river storm.
National Weather Service meteorologist Carol Smith indicated that based on radar patterns and the nature of the damage, particularly the removal of roofs, the event was likely a weak tornado. "Sometimes when you have really strong [wind] uplift and there's strong thunderstorms or a collection of storms, you can get this [wind] rotation," Smith explained.
While no injuries were reported, residents of the park, which provides affordable housing for families and seniors, were left without electricity into the evening hours. The National Weather Service plans to assess the damage on Friday to confirm whether the incident was indeed a tornado.
This event adds to a series of weather-related challenges facing mobile home communities in Southern California this year. In January, over 300 mobile homes were destroyed in the Palisades fire, displacing numerous residents who relied on these properties as affordable housing options.
The incident occurred during a powerful winter storm that brought widespread flooding, mudslides, and debris flows across Southern California, leading to road closures and evacuations in multiple areas.