Apparent tornado in Scotts Valley, California flips cars and sends several to hospital

An apparent tornado touched down in a small Northern California town on Saturday, overturning cars, causing significant damage and sending several people to the hospital.

The National Weather Service said the apparent tornado touched down around 1:40 p.m. local time in Scotts Valley, about 30 miles south of San Jose.

Several people were taken to the hospital with injuries, but no deaths have been reported, according to a news release from the Scotts Valley Police Department.

“Emergency medical teams are prioritizing those most in need of care and we continue to monitor the situation closely,” police said in the news release.

The tornado caused “significant damage” in several areas, police said.

Images shared by police on social media showed several cars flipped on their sides along the roadway and in a shopping center parking lot.

The weather service confirmed the tornado based on videos, photos, witness accounts and radar, and said a survey team would further examine the damage on the ground to determine how strong it was.

California averages about 11 tornadoes a year, typically in the fall and spring, according to the weather service.

Earlier Saturday morning, the weather service issued the first tornado warning for San Francisco, amid a powerful storm that knocked out power to thousands, according to ABC station KGO.

The tornado warning in San Francisco was lifted about 20 minutes later.