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The fiercest windstorm in a decade may have caught Laurie Amaya off guard, but on Friday, she was quick to find a solution to the sea of debris blanketing her yard in South Pasadena.
Rather than rake for three hours, the attorney hit up her neighbor's gardener.
"Hey, how much to clean it all up?"
"$40," the man said. She offered $30, and the deal was done. Minutes later, her yard was pristine once more.
Photos: Santa Ana winds
Across the most wind-swept areas, Southern Californians got moving in the scrappiest ways to clean up after Mother Nature. Many knew city crews were overwhelmed with calls.
By Friday evening, more than 100,000 homes still lacked power around the region, and some faced the prospect of spending the weekend without electricity. Officials said thousands of trees were uprooted by the winds, including 400 in Griffith Park. City crews raced to remove trees and other debris that still blocked some side streets.
Residents, meanwhile, reached for their rakes, loppers, cutters and trash bags. Those with children at home put them to work. Those without electricity stocked up on candles and flashlights. And those without water were showering at the gym or relying on wet wipes.
At Berg Hardware in Pasadena, homeowners lined up to buy hand saws and trade stories.
One woman got trapped in her driveway. One man ended up with a tree on top of his car. Another lost most of his windows.
"I'm telling you," customer Mike Paulson half-joked with a worker. "Who says we don't get tornadoes around here? I'm cleaning up branches, twigs, leaves, dirt, sand, you name it."
Pasadena, a city known for its trees, paid a heavy price. It lost 450 street trees, city officials said. That doesn't include trees on private property or in city parks, which will probably run into the hundreds.
City Manager Michael Beck said it was possible that every street in Pasadena lost at least one tree.
On Mercedes Avenue, giant knots of branches littered the block, making it impossible to park in most places. Mo Huckler and her neighbors were hard at work, breaking them down to help city workers.
The residents are a tightknit group who rely on a phone tree and the advice of a firefighter neighbor to help one another.
"This gave us the chance to rethink our disaster plan," said Huckler, a director at a local church.
In Temple City, where three-quarters of the town was still without power Friday afternoon, close to 200 trees collapsed. Thirty homes were damaged and 17 utility poles came down.
Still, things could have been much worse.
The area has notably fewer trees than neighboring towns. A lot were torn out in a recent mansion-building boom, said city spokesman Brian Haworth. Many of the mansion owners are Chinese immigrants with a faith in feng shui. They build their homes without trees near the front to allow more energy to enter.
Rather than rake for three hours, the attorney hit up her neighbor's gardener.
"Hey, how much to clean it all up?"
"$40," the man said. She offered $30, and the deal was done. Minutes later, her yard was pristine once more.
Photos: Santa Ana winds
Across the most wind-swept areas, Southern Californians got moving in the scrappiest ways to clean up after Mother Nature. Many knew city crews were overwhelmed with calls.
By Friday evening, more than 100,000 homes still lacked power around the region, and some faced the prospect of spending the weekend without electricity. Officials said thousands of trees were uprooted by the winds, including 400 in Griffith Park. City crews raced to remove trees and other debris that still blocked some side streets.
Residents, meanwhile, reached for their rakes, loppers, cutters and trash bags. Those with children at home put them to work. Those without electricity stocked up on candles and flashlights. And those without water were showering at the gym or relying on wet wipes.
At Berg Hardware in Pasadena, homeowners lined up to buy hand saws and trade stories.
One woman got trapped in her driveway. One man ended up with a tree on top of his car. Another lost most of his windows.
"I'm telling you," customer Mike Paulson half-joked with a worker. "Who says we don't get tornadoes around here? I'm cleaning up branches, twigs, leaves, dirt, sand, you name it."
Pasadena, a city known for its trees, paid a heavy price. It lost 450 street trees, city officials said. That doesn't include trees on private property or in city parks, which will probably run into the hundreds.
City Manager Michael Beck said it was possible that every street in Pasadena lost at least one tree.
On Mercedes Avenue, giant knots of branches littered the block, making it impossible to park in most places. Mo Huckler and her neighbors were hard at work, breaking them down to help city workers.
The residents are a tightknit group who rely on a phone tree and the advice of a firefighter neighbor to help one another.
"This gave us the chance to rethink our disaster plan," said Huckler, a director at a local church.
In Temple City, where three-quarters of the town was still without power Friday afternoon, close to 200 trees collapsed. Thirty homes were damaged and 17 utility poles came down.
Still, things could have been much worse.
The area has notably fewer trees than neighboring towns. A lot were torn out in a recent mansion-building boom, said city spokesman Brian Haworth. Many of the mansion owners are Chinese immigrants with a faith in feng shui. They build their homes without trees near the front to allow more energy to enter.
L.A. for less than the price of sunblock. 
