Landspout knocks down trees in La Mirada, as tornado conditions continue during storm

LA MIRADA, Calif. (KABC) -- A rare tornado touched down in Southern California Thursday and conditions were continuing Friday for the possibility of more forming during this week's powerful storm.

By tornado standards, the whirling blast of wind that touched down in a La Mirada neighborhood on Thursday was a relatively weak one. Classified as a non-supercell tornado, or landspout, it knocked down a handful of trees in the 16200 block of Summershade Drive. There were no reports of serious injuries.

Experts say a landspout spins from the ground rather than dropping from a cloud and generally lasts a short time.

Friday morning, additional tornadic activity was seen on ABC7's Megadoppler 7000 HD radar images moving south through the Lompoc and Santa Barbara area. The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for northern Santa Barbara County.

Friday forecast: Tornado conditions forming in Santa Barbara area

Curved yellow spots on the radar indicate the possibility of tornadoes forming in Santa Barbara.

Tornadoes are rare in Southern California, but reports indicate they have caused damage over the years.

In December 2014, a tornado ripped through South Los Angeles, tearing the roofs off buildings and knocking down trees and taking out power lines. No serious injuries were reported.

Tornado hits South Los Angeles in December 2014

The man who captured a tornado on tape as it tore through his South LA neighborhood described the moment it hit.

In March 1983, a more powerful tornado swept through South Central Los Angeles for less than half an hour, injuring dozens of people and destroying multiple homes and buildings.

This week's powerful storm has brought thunder, hail, strong winds and heavy rain to Southern California, and triggered highly unusual blizzard warnings for the mountains.