Using #LAWind, some residents reminisced on social media about scenes from the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz,” feeling like their homes, shaken by the wind, might blow away.The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said its crews were responding to multiple outages. As of 10 p.m., about 35,000 DWP customers were without power and the utility advised customers to plan to be without power for between 12 and 24 hours.The high winds also caused 18 outages in L.A.
“During a power outage our top priority is the public’s safety,” Southern California Edison spokesman Reggie Kumar said in a statement. “Most importantly, stay away from downed power lines and call 911. Our crews are specially trained to safely repair outage damage and hazards.” Strong wind gusts along the coast created large, choppy seas, prompting the National Weather Service in L.A. to advise only the most experienced mariners to attempt to operate vessels in the tumultuous water.A fallen tree blocked a few westbound lanes of Interstate 10, east of Crenshaw Boulevard, for about two hours. In Long Beach, a toppled tree blocked traffic near Long Beach Boulevard off the 710.