‘Waterspout’ wreaked havoc

Jeff Benson

Fire officials determined that it was a waterspout that tore through

Costa Mesa Wednesday, breaking down walls, chopping down fences and

tossing around trees for nearly 20 minutes.

The city took eight calls from residents early Wednesday morning

as their furniture, trees and fences blew away, said Costa Mesa Fire

Battalion Chief Keith Fujimoto said.

He estimated the total damage at well over $100,000.

“Nobody was hurt, thank goodness,” Fujimoto said. “There was just

a lot of cosmetic damage.”

The waterspout -- a tubular-shaped whirling column of wind, air

and spray -- began at 16th Street and Monrovia Avenue, tore off the

roof and a sign at Alejandro’s Mexican Food on 19th Street, juggled

trees at the Costa Mesa Public Golf Course and finally stopped at the

Bowling Green area of town.

In its path was 125-foot section of cinderblock wall at the

Mediterranean Village Apartment Homes on Harbor Boulevard and Fair

Drive collapsed onto a carport below, destroying the front ends of 20

cars, he said.

“I believe all the cars are probably still drivable,” Fujimoto

said.

“But I imagine the drivers aren’t too happy about it. I guess most

of it’s up to the insurance companies.”

Mediterranean Village resident Heather January said the wall

belonged to Home Depot, located next door to the property.

The complex’s residents have been able to collect their cars, but

the debris from the wall hasn’t yet been cleaned up, she said.

“I would assume there’s very minor damage,” January said. “I’ve

been looking at people bringing in estimates, but it’s very minor.”

Several fences were also blown down near the Harbor and Fair

intersection, Fujimoto said.

Fujimoto said someone reported seeing waterspouts Tuesday night in

Avalon on Catalina Island, shortly before the storm system moved west

onto the Orange County coast.

A woman later reported seeing a waterspout off the Newport coast,

likely the same one that touched down in Costa Mesa.

The Fire Department said they ruled out the possibility the damage

was caused by high winds because the most extensive damage was done

in a virtual straight line -- indicative of a water spout or small

tornado.

“I’ve lived here in Costa Mesa 29 years and it’s the first time

I’ve ever seen one,” he said, adding that waterspouts are basically

like mini-tornadoes.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported this

week that the total number of tornadoes reported in the United States

in 2004 reached a record high.

An estimated 1,717 tornadoes were reported through last week,

blowing away the previous record of 1,424 in 1998.

To top it off, forecasters project a gloomy beginning to the new

year.

Orange County is expected to see partly cloudy skies and a chance

of rain through the weekend, with showers likely Sunday night and

Monday, according to the National Weather Service.