FURIOUS, FAST AND NEAR FRIGID; DESTRUCTIVE WINDS WHIP SOUTHLAND.Byline: Ivan Sciupac Daily News Staff Writer A strong, violent storm tore through Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, early Sunday, kicking up winds as high as 50 mph in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , uprooting trees, snapping power lines and ripping up roofs, authorities said. The weather was part of a strong cold front that moved quickly through the area, dumping snow in the mountains and rain in the valleys. Forecasters said the region should remain dry for the next few days, with temperatures keeping steady in the 60s and 70s. Santa Ana winds Santa Ana Winds may refer to: 1. Santa Ana wind, a local Southern California reference to Föhn winds, a meteorological phenomenon occurring as a layer of wind is forced over a mountain range -- drying the air -- which then passes over the crest and begins to move downslope -- were expected by midweek. Throughout the day, damage mounted across the Valley as the howling winds ripped out trees, knocked down power lines and in one instance, tore down a resident's backyard wall. ``I walked out into my backyard to take a look and the wall was laying in my pool,'' said Stan Ross of Toluca Lake. ``It was unbelievable.'' Ross, who has been living in the same house since 1962, said the winds blew down about 175 square feet of cement wall separating his property from his neighbor's yard. The storm took a little more than four hours to pass through the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. area, said Jonathan Slemmer, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service. Slemmer described the storm as ``heavy but brief,'' as it accelerated out of the northern mountains and into the Valley, passing through the basin and eventually dissolving in the Pacific Ocean. Although this type of cold front is expected in the winter season, ``it's not what one typically has to deal with in Southern California,'' Slemmer said. The winds were especially intense in the northern ends of the Valley, where they peaked at 50 mph. In other areas, the winds remained steady at 15-25 mph, Slemmer said. In Sherman Oaks, a large tree crashed to the ground, barely missing a house. In Reseda, a tree fell onto Sherman Way, blocking two lanes of traffic for most of the morning. And in the Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills, an unofficial designation of part of the City of Los Angeles, California, are part of the eastern section of the low transverse range of the Santa Monica Mountains, which extends from the Los Feliz District and Hollywood, on the south side of the Valley, to , a manhole cover blew out of the street surface and landed on a car. No injuries were reported. Although the storm tore up many parts of the Valley, the area was better off than other parts of Southern California. In Long Beach and Garden Grove Garden Grove, city (1990 pop. 143,050), Orange co., S Calif., a suburb of Long Beach and Los Angeles, on the Santa Ana River; founded 1877, inc. 1956. Many of its residents work in nearby aerospace and defense installations, and there is light manufacturing. , the intense winds ripped off roofs and snapped several electrical poles and trees, igniting some small fires, fire officials said. Meteorologists Atmospheric scientists
n. A sudden, violent downdraft of air over a small area. Microbursts are difficult to detect and predict with standard weather instruments and are especially hazardous to airplanes during landing or takeoff. - a sudden, severe downdraft down·draft n. 1. A strong downward current of air. 2. A downward trend; downturn: The business hit a downdraft. that can result in fierce winds on or near the ground. As many as 3,000 customers in Los Angeles County were without power at various times because of damage from the high winds, said Los Angeles Department of Water and Power The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is the largest municipal utility in the United States, serving 3.9 million residents in 2006. It was founded in 1902 to deliver water and electricity supplies to residents and businesses in Los Angeles. spokeswoman Marie Lemelle. DWP DWP Department of Work and Pensions (UK) DWP Drinking Water Program DWP Dynamic Weapon Pricing (gamin, Counter-Strike: Source) DWP Department of Water & Power DWP Drinking Water Protection workers were busy all day containing the live wires that had been knocked down. Lemelle said most of them will have been restored by the end of the day. In Frazier Park, in the mountains north of Los Angeles, motorists slid across icy roads. Those without snow chains were forced to turn around, Mount Pinos ranger officials said. For Ned Hogan of Encino, Sunday was supposed to be a day for his family to enjoy in the snow. But his Honda Accord couldn't maneuver through the icy Frazier Park Road. ``I'm pretty disappointed, and so are my kids,'' Hogan said as the wheels of his car spun in place, stranded on the cold highway. ``Maybe we'll try again next weekend - that is, if we can get home today.'' CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1) Edward Beach grimaces as he rides a toboggan down a snow-covered road while enjoying a day of play with his grandchildren Sunday in Idyllwild. Peter Phun/The Riverside Press-Enterprise (2) A large tree felled by high winds Sunday lies just feet from a house at Valley Spring Lane and Vantage Avenue in Sherman Oaks. David Sprague/Daily News (3) Eddy Barnes, 14, examines a relative's damaged car Sunday in Long Beach. Ferocious winds caused the big tree to fall. David Waters/Long Beach Press-Telegram |
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