Windstorm damage estimated at $40 million
Last week’s Southern California windstorm caused at least $40 million in damage, though that number is expected to rise as more agencies complete their tallies.
Pasadena sustained close to $20 million in damage from more than 1,200 downed trees that crushed cars, knocked out power lines and scarred homes and businesses, according to city officials. San Marino is estimating damage of $5.6 million, while South Pasadena leaders put the damage at $1 million and rising.
Officials estimated more than $10 million in damage in Temple City. Monrovia estimated damage at $4 million.
No numbers were available from other San Gabriel Valley cities or the city of Los Angeles, where northeastern parts of the city were heavily damaged.
State emergency management officials on Friday toured windstorm damage at an Altadena golf course, looking at downed trees and getting an earful from local politicians about Southern California Edison’s slow efforts to restore power to nearly 434,000 customers.
Edison fully restored power to all customers Thursday morning, more than a week after 80-mph winds downed trees and caused damage throughout the San Gabriel Valley. The California Public Utilities Commission has launched an investigation of Edison’s response.
“They tried to do it solo,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich told Mike Dayton, the acting director of the California Emergency Management Agency.
“Solo doesn’t work,” replied Dayton.
Dayton and a team of emergency agency officials were preparing to spend the day touring the San Gabriel Valley.
Dayton also planned to visit city halls in Pasadena, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, San Gabriel and Alhambra. Dayton said he would go over municipal damage estimates and discuss recovery plans with local officials.
“We’ll look at the progress and pace of recovery,” Dayton said. “We’re looking for lessons learned, though it might be premature to expect to learn all those lessons today.”
Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) and state Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) told Dayton that the utility’s response was inadequate.
Edison officials were not present at the meeting and did not immediately return phone calls Friday morning seeking comment but have said the volume of downed trees and areas requiring response hampered hundreds of crews.
Meanwhile, authorities say, burglars took advantage of the widespread blackouts caused by the windstorm.
The Crescenta Valley sheriff’s station reported an increase in residential burglaries, including at least four La Cañada Flintridge homes targeted during the power outage, Capt. Dave Silversparre said Wednesday.
Jewelry worth more than $10,000 and an unspecified amount of cash were stolen Monday night from a home on Hillcrest Avenue while victims were away at dinner, officials said.
Also on Monday, a couple who left their St. Katherine Drive home at 9 a.m. returned in the afternoon to find it ransacked, reporting losses of $33,000 in cash as well as jewelry, watches, coins and electronics.
A power outage disabled security alarms at a home on Terracita Lane, where burglars on Dec. 2 made off with a painting valued at $10,000 and at least $5,000 in jewelry.
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