The Berenda Tornado was not Madera’s first

For The Madera Tribune

This twister dropped out of the skies on Madera in April 1967. No lives were lost, but considerable damage was done.

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Last week an unusual atmospheric phenomenon occurred in Madera; it just dropped right out of the sky. A tornado hit in the Berenda area. It didn’t cause much damage, but it got a lot of attention. I got an email from Mississippi telling me it was on the news there. For a good description of this twister, read the article by Gina Webb on page one of the Madera Tribune’s March 9, 2024, edition.

It all made me wonder how many people remember the 1967 tornado that struck Madera. 

Heavy spring rains in 1967 had created such havoc that they prompted state legislators to call for the town and county to be designated a disaster area. Damage in the millions of dollars hit Madera County farmers, and 10,000 acres of farmland lay under water. Then, as if to add insult to injury, the tornado struck.