Clean-up underway after tornado hits Berenda Elementary in Madera

Kate Nemarich Image
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Clean-up underway after tornado hits Berenda Elementary in Madera
A bent fence and crews cleaning up limbs were the most obvious signs of a tornado hitting the small Berenda Elementary School.

MADERA, Calif. (KFSN) -- A bent fence and crews cleaning up limbs were the most obvious signs of a tornado hitting the small Berenda Elementary School.

A drone video taken Monday morning gives some indication of the path the storm took through campus.

It's a much different sight compared to the scattered limbs that filled the school parking lot just days earlier - leaving children on campus late Friday afternoon for an after-school program shaken as they walked out of the school.

"I just heard everyone screaming and branches and trees just falling down," said Emely Soto, a 4th grader at the school.

In a statement, Madera Unified School District officials said:

"During the windstorm, students followed staff directions and were never in harm's way. We appreciate the rapid reactions of our after-school program staff, support staff, and administration. They followed protocols and communicated their needs quickly and effectively."

The only damage reported was to the roof of a portable classroom and the fence line at the front of the school. An assessment of the cost of the damages hasn't been done at this time.

The National Weather Service Hanford says the tornado was EF 0, the lowest rating possible, generating winds from 65 to 85 miles per hour.

District representatives say school wasn't disrupted today by any of the damage and that counseling services are being offered to students and staff as needed.

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