Thunderstorm Wind — San Bernardino, California

2009-06-03 · near Moonridge, San Bernardino, California

Direct deaths

$20K

Property damage

48 EG

Magnitude

Event narrative

A wind gust from a thunderstorm snapped a pine tree along the 400 block of Catalina Road near Avalon Drive in Big Bear Lake. The tree fell on a passing vehicle, crushing the car and killing the driver.

Wider weather episode

Unstable air ahead of an upper-level low centered just off the coast of Northern California triggered bands of elevated convection which stretched from San Diego to the San Bernardino County deserts. Over 1500 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes were recorded during the event, resulting in one death and multiple injuries. The lightning also started approximately 70 fires, most of which were small and did not result in any damage or injuries. The storms also produced gusty winds and hail, with one cell producing quarter-sized hail in the Del Mar area.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.2451, -116.8798)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 178592. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.