7 Buildings 'Red Tagged' in Arcadia Due to Severe Winds

Engineers with the Arcadia Department of Public Works spent most of Thursday out in the field, clearing debris and trees felled by an epic . 

Damage from the storm forced city officials to declare a local state of emergency.

say no injuries were reported.

However, public safety officials "red tagged" seven buildings--indicating that they are uninhabitable--and the city received more than 400 calls regarding fallen trees blocking various streets and thoroughfares.

Street closures—Baldwin to Michillinda, Longden from El Monte to Holly, Camino Real from Santa Anita to El Monte and Colorado from Santa Anita to Baldwin—were still in effect as of 5:30 p.m.

Eleven intersections also remained closed.

A severe power outage caused primarily by numerous downed power lines left much of the city in the dark.

No Specific Numbers

Southern California Edison said more than 213,000 customers throughout the region did not have power Thursday. Spokespersons for SCE did not release specific numbers for Arcadia, but said city, along with other San Gabriel Valley Foothill communities, were amongst the hardest hit in Southern California.

The outage forced the to close during one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year. The canceled all classes due to the outage and potentially hazardous campus conditions.

District spokeswoman Marily Daleo said all public schools in Arcadia will remain closed Friday, as the winds are expected to continue. The National Weather Service said the region could experience gusts from 60-80 mph.

Meanwhile, SCE is still working on restoring power.

Residents are urged to stay home. If you encounter a downed power line, do not touch the line, even if it looks dead. Call 911 immediately. Treat any traffic signals that are “blacked out” or not working as a four-way stop sign.

Be aware of your surroundings.

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Check Patch for frequent updates on the storm.