High Winds Cause Widespread Power Outages Throughout Monrovia

Public Works crews were quick to repair a precarious street sign at Magnolia and Foothill. The strong winds caused one of the two retaining bolts to come loose posing an imminent threat to pedestrians and motorists alike. – Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News

By Terry Miller 

Originally published Oct. 15 @10:52 a.m. / Last updated Oct. 17 @4:57 p.m.

High winds caused several area power outages Monday morning causing considerable confusion for the morning commute. The Gold Line was reporting up to 10 minute delays southbound due to power issues at Monrovia rail yard. Select trips ran with two car trains through the morning. Traffic signals in a wide area of the city including Myrtle an Foothill were out and Southern California Edison and the city worked together to restore power to the thousands affected.

Monrovia Superintendent Katherine Fundukian Thorossian, Ed.D. said the following:

“At 6 a.m., we received our first call that schools may be without power. By 7 [a.m.], we had confirmed that four of our schools were without power as a result of the heavy winds. Support staff, including principals, assured parents that school would be in session. Teachers adjusted lesson plans and welcomed students into their classrooms, as they would any other day. It was just that on this particular day, it would be with natural light. While most of our classrooms have enough natural light filtering through, there were a few that needed some additional support. Nelson Santos, director of purchasing, and his team went shopping and distributed lanterns to classrooms [for] teaching and learning. 

“Service in [the] cafeterias went uninterrupted. [The] kitchens ordinarily prepare 3,000 meals daily. Cereal and fruit were provided in the morning for breakfast. In addition to sandwiches, [the] culinary team prepared grilled cheese sandwiches, nachos, and chili on [the] gas stove tops.

“I think Santa Fe Computer Science Magnet School Principal, Dr. Geoff Zamarripa summed it up best … ‘The only power here today is brain power!’

“A special thank you to the Monrovia Police Department who, as always, responded to our campuses immediately and even assisted with safe crossing on busy intersections where traffic lights were out.”

Southern California Edison said 500 residents north of Foothill were without power most on the day. As the winds died down, power was restored to most residents and businesses in Monrovia by 6:10 p.m. on Monday.

With high wind conditions occurring, and expected to continue in SoCal, remember to stay far away from power lines. Never touch a downed power line, or anything that’s in contact with it. If you see a downed wire, call 911 right away.

More from Monrovia Weekly