High Wind — San Diego County Coasts, California

2003-01-06 · San Diego County Coasts, California

Wider weather episode

Throughout this three day Santa Ana wind event, numerous trees and power poles were blown down. At least 60 communities were affected. Interstates 8, 10, and 15 were blocked for several hours by large trucks blown over. Blowing dust and sand reduced visibility to zero, closing Interstate 215. Planes were diverted from landing at Ontario International airport as winds gusted to 90 mph. One large commercial transport plane sustained damage. A commuter train was delayed for several hours in Orange County when power poles were blown down onto the track. A brush fire whipped by the winds, damaged 5 houses and burned 150 acres. Sparks from downed power lines started numerous small brush fires, but these were quickly contained. Many houses and at least 300 parked automobiles were damaged by falling trees. In Riverside, wind flung debris smashed into a vehicle, killing the front seat passenger. In San Diego, a woman was killed when a tree fell onto her. Three others outdoors in San Diego County were also struck by falling trees and sustained broken bones. Six people riding in a commuter bus were injured when a tree fell onto it. The avocado crop in San Diego County lost about 20 million pounds of fruit.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5339496. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.