Storm Packs Strong Winds, Heavy Rains, Power Outages
GRANITE BAY (CBS13) — The first round of a storm brought strong winds, heavy rains and power outages throughout the foothills on Thursday.
Rainfall totals in the Roseville area neared 2 inches over the course of a few hours.
PG&E crews were scrambling in Granite Bay where firefighters say lightning struck a pole, and things only got worse.
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It was a light drizzle at a home, but as the showers intensified and lightning struck. A woman was sent fleeing with her children from their burning house. Firefighters contained the fire in the garage, but there was more trouble down the street.
Placer County firefighters say lightning struck a pole and traveled through the ground to the gas line, setting gas meters ablaze. PG&E worked into the night to restore power and gas in the neighborhood.
Lightning also downed a redwood tree, snapping it in half.
In the Sierra, with the calendar nearing summer, the conditions looked more like January.
"It's a winter wonderland," said Carl Mrizek. "It's actually the first time I've actually seen the ground go from brown dirt and green plants to just covered in white. You couldn't see anything."
Michael Brunone and Mrizek drove to Folsom to climb Pyramid Peak for one last dose of winter weather, and Mother Nature didn't disappoint when they approached 9,000 feet.
"It was just getting worse by the minute," Mrizek said. "You couldn't see, you couldn't see 30 feet in front of you."