The tornado, creating gusts of up 85 mph, left a trail 80 yards wide and a mile long, damaging homes, plowing over trees, taking down power lines and rupturing water pipes, authorities said. It hit a mile west of the 605 Freeway.

A major storm continued to wallop much of Southern California on Thursday morning, bringing evacuation warnings, fears of mudslides and heavy mountain snow.

A tornado hit Southern California this morning amid an atmospheric river that is bringing rain, flooding and mudslides to the state. No one was injured by the tornado that hit Los Angeles County, but winds toppled trees and littered debris around Pico Rivera.

The storm, which forecasters said could produce tornadoes, is expected to strengthen Friday and move towards the central US.