The National Weather Service confirmed three tornadoes across Fresno and Merced counties Tuesday, April 21, 2026, including two EF-1 storms, with no injuries or fatalities reported. Photo of Fresno sky from Tuesday, April 21, 2026 (GV Wire/Eric Martinez)
Share
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The National Weather Service in Hanford confirmed that three tornadoes touched down Tuesday afternoon in Fresno and Merced counties, with no reported injuries or fatalities.
According to a damage survey released on Wednesday, two tornadoes occurred between 2:10 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, one near Biola and another northeast of Clovis in Fresno County, while a third touched down west of Atwater in Merced County.
The tornado near Biola was rated EF-0, with estimated peak winds of 70 mph, a path length of 50 yards and a maximum width of 5 yards. It began at 2:10 p.m. about 2.5 miles southeast of Biola, ending two minutes later.
A second tornado northeast of Clovis was rated EF-1, with peak winds of 95 mph, a path length of 0.5 miles and a maximum width of 75 yards. It started at 5:09 p.m. about 8.5 miles northeast of Clovis and ended at 5:16 p.m.
The third tornado, west of Atwater, was also rated EF-1, with estimated peak winds of 110 mph. It traveled 0.5 miles with a maximum width of 100 yards between 3:30 p.m. and 3:39 p.m.
Residents in Atwater reported downed power lines, flattened grass, and damage to homes, according to news partner KMPH.
The weather service said that since 1955, the region has recorded only three days with three or more tornadoes and three days with multiple EF-1 tornadoes.
—
Connect with Anthony W. Haddad on social media. Got a tip? Send an email.
