High-Powered Winds Whip Through Southland, Bringing Damage To Houses, Trees
ONTARIO (CBSLA) — Residents across the Southland are set to feel the full force of the Santa Ana winds over the weekend, as powerful gusts bring cold temperatures and dust advisories along for the ride.
In Ontario on Saturday, a tree fell on a two-story home, trapping three people inside.
One of those people whom was trapped was Nathan Green, the 16-year-old who lives on the bottom floor with his mother.
As he was helping cleanup the debris now surrounding what used to be his bedroom, he spoke with CBS reporters to detail their traumatic morning, "We heard a loud bang - a bunch of dust coming into my room - and I jumped from the chair that's right next to the front door, and I jumped over the coffee table right to the couch where my mom was to make sure she wasn't hit by anything."
"When it fully collapsed, we saw the branch go through right through the wall and the front door," said Green.
The tree crashed through his bedroom but luckily he was not in there at the time, "If I was in my room, like I usually am playing games, I would've been... not here."
Firefighter crews had to rescue the third woman whom was trapped upstairs in the home.
Saturday morning, a large tree was knocked over and blocking the road in Arcadia. Another tree was knocked down by the strong winds in Van Nuys. A house in Monrovia was damaged by powerful winds in the San Gabriel Valley area.
A semi truck in Upland was nearly broken in half when a large Eucalyptus tree fell on the moving vehicle. It missed the cab of the truck, and the driver escaped without injury.
In Saugus, residents Rochelle Jackson and Jasmine McCollum began taking measures to prevent too much cleanup from the high-powered winds.
"We have a pool, most of our patio furniture lands in our pool," Jackson said. "So you know we're fishing that out when the winds get like this."
McCollum says that ever since their neighbor's trampoline blew into their yard, "we have to tie some of the furniture down."
Van Nuys residents will also have a little of their own cleanup to do, as they were rudely made aware of the winds set to gust through their area on Friday, when a large tree was downed in the middle of their street. Luckily for them, no structures, vehicles or people were impacted by the tree's fall.
The Southern California Air Quality Management District issued a dust advisory on Friday in preparation for the coming winds, especially giving warning to those with sensitive respiratory issues. They recommended that anyone with health concerns that may relate stay inside and avoid rigorous activity.
On Friday, CBS meteorologists predicted that many areas surrounding the Metropolitan Los Angeles region may experience gusts of winds of up to 25 miles per hour.
Along with the winds and dust came frigid temperatures.
McCollum and her sister threw on jackets one would normally wear during a ski trip while walking their dog on Friday evening, "It's definitely a lot colder than normal because the wind kinda cuts through you," she continued.
Brittany Jackson, also of Saugus, noted that she could even feel the strength of the wind behind the wheel, "It's been a little scary. You drive your car it's wobbly and shaky and it's been freezing."
Officials warned of temporary power outages that may occur if winds blow over electrical towers, and on a more minor level, residents even noticed that their WiFi connection was affected - Rochelle Jackson said her kids were unable to order food with their phones on Friday due to a sudden lack of connectivity.
The winds will be felt all over Southern California, as meteorologists predict that winds of up to 80 miles per hour may affect the El Cajon Pass. The dust advisory was also placed into affect not just in Los Angeles County, but in Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino Counties as well.
The winds and dust advisory are set to last through at least Sunday.
