High Wind in California, December 14 to 16, 1996

Strong Santa Ana winds toppled trees and electric poles, smashed windows, blew out signs, and knocked out power to tens of thousands across scattered areas of Southern California. In Orange County, gusts at Fremont Canyon were measured as high as 111 mph. Two deaths occured in San Bernardino County, both in Fontana. A 28 year old man died when a live powerline was blown on him and another 82 year old man died when a pine tree branch fell onto his van, breaking his neck. Two minor injuries occurred in Huntington Central Park in Orange County, when a 60 foot tree blew down. Also in San Diego County, one minor injury resulted when a tree crashed into a car traveling on Highway 78, just east of Ramona. Just below Crestline, in the San Bernardino Mountains, a radio tower was blown down and the roof blown off the transmitter building. Mira Loma was particularly hard hit with many downed trees and 50 power poles. Two tractor-trailer rigs were flipped on the I-15 near Devore, closing this major north-south highway for 15 hours, while a pickup with camper was blown over on Highway 70 near Santa Isabel. Several cars were smashed under falling trees, up to 9 feet in diameter, and downed power lines sparked fires that were fanned by the gusty winds. In Rialto where winds were clocked at 92 mph, sparks from downed power lines started a blaze that gutted a tile production plant. In San Diego County, the winds knocked over one and one half million pounds of avocadoes from the trees, a large percentage of which could not be marketed.