Santa Ana Windstorms Wreak Havoc Throughout SoCal

OLIVIA CHEUNG
News Editor

December began with some of the most powerful Santa Ana winds in years, ripping through Utah to Southern California and far western Arizona.
According to the National Weather Service, the Santa Ana winds are strong down-slope winds that blow through the Santa Ana Mountains at speeds above 40 mph (64 kph) during the cooler months.
Wind gusts at higher altitudes were the most extreme. Mammoth Mountain in Sierra Nevada had winds as strong as 150 mph. In Los Angeles County, winds were recorded at 97 mph at Whitaker Peak.
“This is probably the worst winds to this area in more than a decade,” Bob Spencer, spokesman for L.A. County’s public works department, said.
The foothill communities of the San Gabriel Valley were hit the hardest. Alongside L.A. County, states of emergency were also declared in cities of Alhambra, South Pasadena, Pasadena, San Marino, San Gabriel, Temple City, Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Glendora and Arcadia.
Dozens of schools in Alhambra, Arcadia, Pasadena, South Pasadena, and San Gabriel were cancelled on the following Thursday and Friday as a result of the strong winds.
The aftermath of the winds left hundreds of thousands of Southern California Edison (SCE) customers without power. Most service was restored within a few days following the winds, but over 800 households remained in the dark a week after the windstorm.
Power outages were so widespread that officials in cities of San Marino and Temple City had estimated that more than 75 percent of residents were without electricity.
“It was a horrible experience when we were forced to live without any power for five days,” sophomore Stephanie Han said.
In defense, SoCal Edison points out that the storm was unprecedented and that they were working 24 hours a day.
SoCal Edison President Ron Litzinger apologized in an open letter published as a full-page ad in the L.A. Times.
“We set ambitious goals to return service to [SCE members],” he wrote. “We understand that a number of our customers [were] frustrated, particularly those who [had] been without power for more than five days, and we thank them for their patience. We are working around the clock with crews from as far away as San Diego and Bakersfield to repair the massive storm damage to our power delivery system.”
Despite all of the damage, no fatalities have been reported. However, much of L.A. County is a red flag warning, meaning that its conditions could easily cause a wildfire.
“Although I was happy about school’s cancellation, the disadvantages overshadow the pros,” sophomore Vivian Li said.