Wind Damage Shuts Down Interstate 80 In Both Directions During Afternoon Commute As Live Wires Endangered Drivers

SOLANO COUNTY (KCBS) -- Winds gusting near 60 miles per hour or more toppled trees and PG&E power lines across Interstate 80, near Redwood in Vallejo, shutting down the entire freeway in both directions during the afternoon commute while PG&E crews turned off electricity to the downed wires and firefighters put out a small fire sparked by the damage.

Driver Robert Alonso from Sacramento described the chaos as trees began falling saying, "We're all driving the speed limit and trees started coming down."

"Cars in the slow lane all slammed on their brakes, this minivan swerved over. They actually got hit by the tree. I was slamming my brakes, sliding, actually slammed into them," Alonso said.

At least two westbound lanes reopened around 4 p.m., but eastbound lanes remained closed at that hour.

Medic Ambulance captured some of the damage, and posted pictures to Twitter.

Stuck drivers are taking to social media to share their frustrations.

Powerful winds are wreaking havoc on the commute around the Bay Area, with BART trains stopped in San Francisco and separately, in Concord because of trees down on the tracks.

COMPLETE WIND STORM COVERAGE:

In:
• Storm
• Vallejo
• I-80