Wind Up to 55 MPH Fells Trees

Winds up to 55 mph whipped through the county Thursday and felled a number of trees, including several that crashed into power lines and one that heavily damaged a house in Simi Valley.

Officials worked to clean up the debris and restore power after the Santa Ana winds caused scattered outages.

“I think this is one of the strongest [this year],” said Bruce Rockwell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

In Simi Valley, the high winds knocked over a giant eucalyptus tree, crushing half of a house in the 2900 block of Kilaine Drive.

One side of the house was destroyed, including the two front bedrooms and dining room.

“I heard boom,” said Anne Simms, who lives across the street. “My first thought was, ‘My God, did anybody get seriously hurt?’ ”

None of the four residents was home when the tree fell just after 10 a.m.

“I was just praying that my dad was not home,” said Ressie Abadiano, a resident of the house.

Also in Simi Valley, where winds approached 55 mph, a small amount of steel siding blew off a Rite Aid Pharmacy in the 2700 block of Los Angeles Avenue, said Sandi Wells, county Fire Department spokeswoman. Firefighters secured the siding to prevent anyone from being injured, she said.

High winds also caused trees to fall, knocking over power lines, and ignited a shed fire in Moorpark. And, in Camarillo, a tree fell onto an unoccupied car.

Around the county, about 170 Southern California Edison customers lost power because of palm fronds hitting lines, said Mike Montoya, Edison region manager.

“It was relatively minor considering the amount of wind,” Montoya said.

While winds in the Ventura Harbor gusted up to 35 knots, there were no wind-related accidents, said Casey Culp, a Harbor Patrol officer.

“It’s pretty mellow out here, good waves,” Culp said.

High winds are expected to continue through this morning, but should begin to decrease in the afternoon. By Saturday, forecasters said there will be no significant winds.