The National Weather Service was investigating the possibility that a tornado ripped the roof off a building in Montebello on Wednesday morning.
It capped a period of wild weather across California that brought high winds and warnings of tornadoes and waterspouts.
Video sent to KTLA-TV showed a dark funnel cloud forming over the Montebello area while footage from the station’s news helicopter showed the roof of the structure on South Vail Street with huge holes, with beams and the interior of the building open to the elements.
An employee removes his bike from his damaged car at Royal Paper Box Co. in Montebello.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
A worker who was inside the Royal Paper Box Company when the roof was torn off in a strong microburst, removes his belongings from his wrecked car in Montebello.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
A pickup bed liner is lodged in a tree as employees survey the damage in Montebello.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Cleanup crews remove debris lodged under a pickup truck in Montebello.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Workers remove broken glass from a window of a building in Montebello.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Crews clean up debris after a possible tornado hit Montebello.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Cleanup crews remove a large piece of debris that was strewn along Maple Avenue.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
A car’s rear window was blown out by Wednesday’s weather event.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles Times