National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Excessive Rainfall in the Southern Plains, Ozarks, and Upper Midwest Thursday

Heavy thunderstorms will continue areas of excessive rainfall and locally considerable flooding over parts of the southern Plains into the mid-Mississippi River Valley through Friday. Heavy to excessive rainfall may bring flash and urban flooding, along with isolated riverine flooding to a part of the Upper Midwest Thursday. Read More >

January 23rd Storm in Contra Costa County



A very strong thunderstorm went through a portion of Contra Costa County near Brentwood and Discovery Bay on Saturday, January 23rd. The following pictures were taken by Diane Rybicki of the Contra Costa Water District and are used here with her permission and the permission of the Contra Costa Water District.

  • /images/mtr/Storm Summary/TornadoHail_1_23_2010/Hail Storm 009.jpg
  • /images/mtr/Storm Summary/TornadoHail_1_23_2010/Hail Storm 007.jpg
  • /images/mtr/Storm Summary/TornadoHail_1_23_2010/Hail Storm 006.jpg
  • /images/mtr/Storm Summary/TornadoHail_1_23_2010/Hail Storm 004.jpg

A low topped super cell produced an EF0 tornado near Brentwood. The tornado crossed power lines and destroyed a utility pole. An eyewitness described the tornado as high winds from swirling white cloud. The pole was twisted to the ground and the top one-third of the 40-foot pole was splintered. Fifty-five customers lost power at 12:54 p.m. PST.

  • /images/mtr/Storm Summary/TornadoHail_1_23_2010/brentwood.jpeg
  • /images/mtr/Storm Summary/TornadoHail_1_23_2010/brentwood2.jpeg
  • /images/mtr/Storm Summary/TornadoHail_1_23_2010/brentwood3.jpeg
  • /images/mtr/Storm Summary/TornadoHail_1_23_2010/brentwood4.jpeg
  • /images/mtr/Storm Summary/TornadoHail_1_23_2010/brentwood6.jpeg
  • /images/mtr/Storm Summary/TornadoHail_1_23_2010/brentwood9.jpeg

Radar Loop of the Low Topped Cell.  Tornado location noted on map