Wind gusts greater than 58 mph continued for 25 consecutive hours in the Santa Ana Mountains. In Orange County, power poles, power lines, and many trees were knocked down in the cities of Orange, Tustin, Irvine, Santa Ana, Westminister, Garden Grove, and La Palma.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.
Wind gusts greater than 58 mph continued for 25 consecutive hours in the Santa Ana Mountains. In Orange County, power poles, power lines, and many trees were knocked down in the cities of Orange, Tustin, Irvine, Santa Ana, Westminister, Garden Grove, and La Palma. Power was disrupted to 30,000 homes and businesses. Wind gusts near 38 mph were measured at Huntington Beach Pier.Across the Inland Empire: winds knocked down power poles, trees, signs, and fences in 23 separate locations in the cities of Yucapia, Redlands, Rialto, Fontana, San Bernardino, and Riverside. Power was disrupted to over 9000 homes and businesses. Many trees were also uprooted. In Riverside County, one fell onto a moving car, causing minor injuries to the occupants. Police, firefighters, power crew and tree-trimmers spent much of Christmas day clearing traffic hazards and battling small brush fires to keep them from spreading.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2000
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5166657, 5166659, 5166658, 5166660, 5166661.