Santa Barbara Tornado / Micro Burst damage. On Sept 3, 2017 in mid afternoon an intense storm rolled through the lower part of Santa Barbara, CA, starting near the harbor at Cabrillo Blvd and working its way eastward towards the Funk Zone and up to State st, the main blvd for Santa Barbara. Trees were ripped from the ground and destroyed throughout the area. Boats in and around the harbor were capsized and a number of people were rescued from the water.
Its not clear whether it was a tornado or a micro burst. After seeing video of the storm that has since been posted and examples by the national weather service, it appears that it was likely a Micro Burst and not a tornado. The winds can exceed a 100mph and begin and end within minutes.