Winds kick up a few problems

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT-MESA -- Gusty Santa Ana winds Friday felled trees, caused a

few power outages and set off burglar alarms, officials said.

In Costa Mesa, the city maintenance crew was kept busy all day

attending to fallen trees and branches on streets and parks.

Past noon Friday, workers were clearing out a fallen tree in TeWinkle

Park. That tree succumbed to the wind because it was already weakened by

termites, said Jack Pittman, a city parks maintenance worker.

“We have several trees down in the city today,” he said. “All crews

are working full time to get them cleared out. This happens every year

with the winds.”

Newport Beach police said they did not receive calls about specific

incidents relating to the wind, but that the gusts did set off false

alarms in homes and businesses.

“Usually with the winds, the doors or windows open and shut and the

vibrations cause the alarms to go off,” Sgt. Ron Rodgers said.

John Wayne Airport switched to its usual procedure on windy days, with

aircraft taking off toward the north instead of south, spokeswoman Ann

McCarley said. No flights were delayed or canceled because of the wind.

Edison reported 10 to 12 customers were without power in the

Newport-Mesa area as a result of the wind Friday afternoon.

“We did not have any downed power lines,” spokesman Gil Alexander

said. “We just had a few minor problems.”

The winds peaked at 35 mph at John Wayne Airport about 11:30 a.m.,

said meteorologist Miguel Miller at the National Weather Service in San

Diego.

“They will decrease [Saturday],” he said. “But they will continue

through [Friday night] and [Saturday].”

There was no high wind advisory for Orange County on Friday. Miller

said balmy temperatures that peaked at 82 degrees in Newport Beach can

also be attributed to the Santa Ana winds.

“We usually get them around this time, late fall or early winter,” he

said.