Several homes damaged as tornado touches down near Port Orchard

PORT ORCHARD, Wash. -- A strong tornado touched down in Port Orchard Tuesday afternoon, heavily damaging several homes and toppling trees. A tornado touched down south of Port Orchard on Tuesday just before 2 p.m. causing trees to be uprooted and structures to be torn apart. Homes were damaged and trees uprooted in Kitsap County, west of Seattle, when the tornado touched down just before 2 p.m.

WATCH: Rare tornado leaves path of destruction in Seattle suburb

The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office called the damage “catastrophic,” saying it was contained to neighbourhoods east and south of a Walmart in Port Orchard. Residents are advised to avoid those areas or shelter in place as those neighborhoods have not been deemed safe, according to the sheriff's office. Video from the television station’s helicopter at the scene shows trees down, homes with roofs ripped off and debris scattered across yards. READ MORE: Alaska earthquake: ‘Major’ damage left by 7.0 magnitude jolt

There are no reports of any injuries at this time. The tornado touched down around 1:45 p.m. near the intersection of Bethel Road and SE Lund, then went northeast behind the Walmart and into several neighborhoods, rendering some homes uninhabitable, according to Deputy Sheriff Scott Wilson with the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office. The National Weather Service in Seattle said on Twitter that based on radar imagery and video evidence, a tornado touched down south of Port Orchard shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday.
A powerful tornado touches down near Port Orchard, Washington. Several structures are severely damaged or destroyed.