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California Buffeted By Strong Offshore Winds

Daxis
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Flickr / Creative Commons
Ocotillo Wind Farm

Strong winds swept out of the interior of California and out to sea early Thursday, fanning small fires and toppling big rigs.

At least five trucks were blown over on interstates in the inland region east of Los Angeles, KNX news radio reported.

Three homes were damaged or destroyed by wind-driven flames in the small San Bernardino County community of Bloomington and firefighters were patrolling the neighborhood to look for hotspots, KABC-TV reported.

Los Angeles firefighters held a brush fire to under 2 acres in the northeastern San Fernando Valley.

Gusts ranged up to 80 mph in Southern California’s mountains, the National Weather Service said.

The COVID-19 mass vaccination site at Disneyland was shut down due to the winds, Orange County Supervisor Lisa A. Bartlett said in a tweet.

Winds also swept through the San Francisco Bay region as strong surface high pressure over the Great Basin and lower pressure along the California coast set up “ideal offshore flow” that ushered in a very dry airmass, the weather service said.

Gusts in the North and East Bay areas ranged from 65 mph to 80 mph at upper elevations and windspeeds at lower elevations ranged from 30 mph to 50 mph.

Ben joined KALW in 2004. As Executive News Editor and then News Director, he helped the news department win numerous regional and national awards for long- and short-form journalism. He also helped teach hundreds of audio producers, many of whom work with him at KALW, today.