Storm Wreaks Havoc Countywide: Power Out At 18K Homes; Trees Down; Farmers Open Halts; Flooding

Severe thunderstorms and fierce, cold winds pounded San Diego County today, causing trees to topple, road closures due to flooding, numerous traffic collisions in the region and the suspension of play several times at the Farmers Insurance PGA tournament at Torrey Pines Golf Course.

The National Weather Service was busy issuing watches and warnings this afternoon. A marine warning urged boaters to seek safe harbor and golf tournament spectators to get indoors.

Three inches of rain had already been recorded atop Palomar Mountain by mid-afternoon.

More than 18,000 San Diego Gas and Electric customers lost power today, as well, as the strong storm front was still blowing into the area.

>>>VIEW OUTAGE MAP HERE<<<

Even though the weather was severe, a forecaster at the National Weather Service said it was not caused by El Nino.

“It’s a typical winter storm coming from the Pacific Northwest,’’ Tina Stall of the NWS said. “El Nino events come from the west.’’

• Also see: Slippery When Wet! CHP Reminds You How To Drive In Drizzly Weather and What To Do If Hydroplaning

The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for the mountains and deserts for the 24 hours through 6 p.m. tonight. Wind gusts could reach as high as 85 miles per hour in the mountains.

A high surf advisory was in effect until 10 p.m. for San Diego coastal areas, including strong rip currents and minor beach erosion expected from 8-foot wave sets.

Julian, Pine Valley and the Laguna Mountains should see snow, including the higher elevations of Interstate 8 east of Alpine, as the snow level could drop to the 3,000-foot elevation by Monday morning, forecasters said.

Up to an inch of rain was forecast for San Diego’s coast and inland valley, as much as three inches in the mountains. Minor urban flooding is likely, according to the weather service.

SDG&E said at least 22 areas in the north, south, east and central regions of the county experienced outages.

No official word yet on what has caused so many outages at the same time, but the website indicated SDG&E personnel were working to determine the causes and get power restored.

There have been several reports throughout the day of high winds causing trees to topple, broken power poles and lines down.

Related:

• Heads Up: ‘Really Big’ Tree Falls Across Genesee Near Governor Drive
• Brown, Choi Share Lead in Farmers Insurance Open

• And while you’re stuck inside, stay warm with this recipe for Pinot Noir Pozole Chili.

--City News Service/File photo