Rain, winds cause power outages across Southern California

VERNON, Calif. (KABC) -- Strong winds from a powerful spring storm knocked down trees and power poles. Utility crews scrambled to restore power to thousands of residents.

Like ABC7Weather on Facebook to stay on top of the latest weather conditions.

In the city of Vernon, one of the hardest hit areas, more than a dozen power poles were knocked down by strong winds. At one point, more than 100 residents were in the dark.

Lanes were closed on Atlantic Boulevard, as crews worked around the clock to clear roads and restore power as soon as possible.

"Our crews were standing by. We knew what the weather was going to do. We expected high winds, and we stationed, and we were able to respond very quickly," said Ronald Garcia of Southern California Edison.

During the peak of the storm, 21,000 SoCal Edison and L.A. DWP customers were without power. SoCal Edison said 351 customers remain without power - mostly in Norwalk and Pomona. Garcia said power should be fully restored by Tuesday morning.

Follow @abc7Weather on Twitter for up-to-the-minute weather updates.

About 200 DWP customers were still without power in South L.A. and Van Nuys.

The storm dumped about half an inch to an inch in the Los Angeles Basin and upwards of two inches in the foothills. The wet weather puts the seasonal rainfall for Los Angeles at just 45 percent of normal. The region typically has 13 inches of rain by this time of year, but it has only seen 6 inches so far.

In Winnetka, the wild weather brought down a massive tree, sending it crashing onto a house.

Meantime, people woke up to a fresh batch of snow up in the local mountains. The storm dumped lots of fresh powder above 5,000 feet.

Rim of the World Unified School District canceled classes Monday due to snow. Drivers traveling up to the mountains were reminded take it slow on the slick roads. Chain requirements were dropped at about noon, according to Caltrans.

The storm dumped about 14 inches of snow in Wrightwood. The weather brought a lot of business to the local mountains, with snowboarders and skiers taking advantage of the fresh powder.

See photos of the spring storm that passed over Southern California.

Get more WEATHER »

storm, rain, weather

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•