Damaging Wind in California, September 2, 1997

Winds flowing around a strong upper-level high pressure area over the southern United States, set the stage for several days of mountain and desert thunderstorms. The activity was particularly widespread on the second, with lightning and wind damage reported from the mountains of Riverside County, to the Victor Valley, in San Bernardino County. Strong winds knocked out power in many areas, and fires ignited by lightning kept fire fighters busy in San Bernardino and Hemet. One fire burned 5 acres north of Lake Arrowhead, in the San Bernardino Mountains, before it was brought under control. Pine Cove, in the San Jacinto Mountains, recorded 3.7 inches of rain in just one and one half hours. Apple Valley was particularly hard hit, as wind gusts clocked at 62 mph felled trees up to a foot in diameter, downed power lines, damaged a mobile home, and reduced visibilities to around 1/4 mile . Heavy rain produced local street flooding, and forced the closure of Highway 18 for a time.