A strong storm system is moving through Southern California Thursday, bringing a heavy dose of rain over a short period of time and prompting evacuation orders, flood warnings and road closures.

A tornado touched down in a Los Angeles County neighborhood early Thursday morning, a rare event in Southern California. With 85 mph winds, the Oxnard tornado knocked down trees and damaged homes and cars in Pico Rivera at around 3:15 a.

It caused many trees to be uprooted, many branches to be snapped and blown down,” said Dr. Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.