Winds Calm Down, Power Restoration Underway In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Winds were expected to gradually weaken across Riverside County Wednesday, one day after slashing Santa Ana gusts wreaked havoc in the area, toppling power lines, pushing over big rigs and tearing the roof off an apartment building.

East winds of 20 to 30 mph were expected Wednesday in the valleys and mountains, with gusts up to 45 mph, weakening to 40 mph by Wednesday night. Only light winds were predicted for the Coachella Valley.

Meanwhile, moderate to heavy rain showers were predicted to materialize over the Coachella Valley, with rain and snow in the mountains. The National Weather Service predicted 4 to 8 inches of snow at 7,000 feet.

"Typically strong (Santa Ana) winds are drying, but in this case, we are seeing moisture moving in from the south," the weather service said.

A flash flood watch was in effect to late Wednesday night for the entire Coachella Valley.

"The showers will be heaviest Wednesday afternoon," the weather service stated. "There is even a slight chance of thunderstorms."

The agency cautioned that "dry river beds and culverts could see sudden water rises." Motorists were advised to be extra careful.

On Tuesday, the windstorm revved up in the late morning and gusty conditions persisted into nightfall. One wildfire was propelled by strong air currents -- a 40-acre blaze near Thermal that was not threatening homes or other structures.

At least two big rig crashes were attributed to the easterly winds. The accidents occurred about one mile apart just north of San Jacinto. The first occurred in 40-50 mph gusts along Sanderson Avenue. A tractor-trailer was pushed over and landed partially atop an SUV, injuring the driver.

The other rig was also blown onto its side, a few hours later along Highway 79. No injuries were reported, but the south side of the highway was shut down, and California Highway Patrol officers implemented a detour. The rig was cleared from the highway just after nightfall.

According to Southern California Edison, multiple power outages occurred because of utility lines snapping or toppling to the ground. Blackouts were reported in Beaumont, Cherry Valley, Hemet, Jurupa Valley, Menifee, Moreno Valley and Woodcrest, affecting upwards of 5,000 SCE customers.

In Moreno Valley, about 5 p.m., winds tore the roof off a small apartment building in the 15000 block of Perris Boulevard, near Filaree Avenue.

Eight occupants were displaced, and Red Cross personnel were requested to assist them with finding temporary lodging. No one was injured.

The high winds were prompting Southern California Edison to consider public safety power shutoffs, during which electricity is turned off for customers in wind-prone areas to lessen the likelihood of fires in the event power lines drop.

As of early Wednesday, about 12,000 SCE customers in Riverside County were without power, and another 2,428 were under consideration for the precautionary shutoffs. A map of SCE's shutoff activity is available at www.sce.com/wildfire/psps.

The upper level low pressure system will scoot to the northeast by Thursday morning, followed by a general clearing throughout the region. However, another winter storm is forecast to arrive early Saturday.

Temperatures will be returning to seasonal norms over the next few days, with highs in the Riverside metropolitan area hovering around 70 until Friday, when the mercury will only reach about 63 degrees, according to the weather service. Lows will be in the mid-40s.