Cleanup crews worked feverishly at Waller Park on Jan. 19 to dispose of a massive pine tree, felled as a result of a vicious winter storm that tore through the Central Coast. The storm ushered in high winds and torrential rain and caused widespread power outages lasting for up to nine hours in some areas. As of press time, the Santa Maria Fire Department had received more than 40 weather-related calls, according to city spokesman Mark Van de Kamp, and conditions were expected to worsen throughout the week with more intense storms to follow. “The winds were definitely stronger than we normally see,” Van de Kamp said. “People can prepare by having a supply of food, water, and battery-operated lights. We could be in for more outages and downed branches and trees because the ground has been saturated.” While the Army Corps of Engineers kept close eye on the Santa Maria Levee, Santa Barbara County Flood Control set up an emergency sand bag location on Foster Road in the event of flooding.
This article appears in Jan 21-28, 2010.