'Close It!' Warehouse Worker Records Moment Rare LA County Tornado Hits Industrial Area

A warehouse worker recorded the moment a rare powerful tornado ripped through an industrial area in Montebello, California, on Wednesday, March 22.

Video recorded by Santos Bil Munoz shows debris swirling in the sky as the tornado moves toward the area. “Close it, close it!” Munoz’ colleague is heard saying, as a crowd moves away from a roller door.

“We approached [the dock roller door] to see what was happening and started to feel the wind come through,” Munoz told Storyful. “Our cardboard boxes were flapping around so one of our the employees started to close the dock and we ran to the back of the warehouse.”

In a second video recorded by Munoz, he and his colleagues assess the damage outside of their work.

“We waited maybe 15 minutes before coming out. When we came out it was a total shock to see all the cars on our lot scratched and covered in dirt,” he said. “Some of them [had their] windows shattered or cracked. Directly across the street where the tornado went through almost every car had its windows broken.”

The National Weather Service (NWS) said the tornado was the strongest to hit the Los Angeles metro area in 39 years.

Local media reported on Thursday that one person was reported injured and that 11 business were deemed unfit for entry. Credit: Santos Bil Munoz via Storyful