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Roving storms ‘a shock to the system’

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Powerful thunderstorms struck East County Tuesday afternoon and San Diego several hours later, bringing strong winds that knocked down trees, toppled planes at Montgomery Field and caused thousands of power outages during the ongoing brutal heat wave.

On Missouri Street in Pacific Beach, a lightning strike caused a palm tree to catch fire. Two lightning strikes were recorded about 5:40 p.m. near Montgomery Field, where the National Weather Service said wind gusts reached 56 mph at 5 p.m.

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In East County, wind gusts of 27 mph were recorded in El Cajon at 2 p.m., and 31 mph in Lemon Grove at 1 p.m., said National Weather Service meteorologist Miguel Miller. Lindbergh Field had gusts of 45 mph at 5 p.m., while Mission Beach recorded 46 mph gusts at 6 p.m., he said.

“It’s really quite random what these storms were doing today,” Miller said.

The storm was gone almost as quickly as it came in San Diego, leaving a widespread wake of damage following its sudden outburst. Spokesmen for both San Diego police and San Diego fire-rescue said there were no major injuries reported, but both agencies were besieged by emergency calls.

Flooding in a riverbed behind Qualcomm Stadium prompted a search for a man and woman reported missing from a homeless encampment. After a two-hour search by firefighters, lifeguards, police officers and a fire helicopter, the two were located unharmed, said fire Capt. Joe Amador.

The evening commute was difficult on some San Diego freeways. Palm fronds littered Interstate 8 westbound in Hotel Circle as motorists navigated around them. The largest jam was in the Hillcrest area, where a downed eucalyptus tree blocked all lanes of northbound state Route 163 near Washington Street.

In Kearny Mesa, a massive tree came down on Balboa Avenue west of Ruffin Road and struck a car. The driver was shaken but not injured. Tree branches littered Montgomery Field, where a Cessna was upended on the tarmac and another plane was tossed over a fence onto two cars. San Diego firefighters contained fuel leaks from several damaged planes.

At Petco Park, the Phillies were ordered off the field just before 6 p.m. while taking batting practice. With lightning visible to the north of the ballpark, fans were instructed to leave their seats and take cover under the ballpark’s overhangs and protected concourses. The tarp was placed on the field. The storm blew over, and the game started on time at 7:10 p.m.

At one point there were an estimated 11,000 storm-related power outages Tuesday night, from Spring Valley to Mission Beach. San Diego Gas & Electric spokeswoman Gayle Falkenthal said crews were working as fast as they could to make repairs. Power was back for some customers within hours, while estimated restoration for others was early Wednesday, according to the SDG&E website.

Earlier Tuesday, thunderstorms produced explosive bursts of wind that bent and broke dozens of trees in the Spring Valley area, causing people to clutch everything from gasoline pumps to railings to steady themselves. The fleeting storm also generated heavy rains, slowing traffic and making driving hazardous.

“This could be a shock to the system; people aren’t used to seeing this,” said Mark Moede, a weather service forecaster.

The winds arose from the remnants of Tropical Storm Odile, which sent moist, unstable air into Southern California and enhancing the seasonal monsoon. Thunderstorms popped up over East County shortly after 1 p.m., leading to the downdrafts.

Odile also helped push up temperatures on the third day of an oppressive heat wave. The temperature spiked to 91 degrees at San Diego’s Lindbergh Field. At 10 p.m., it was still 82 degrees at the airport.

The high temperature Tuesday was 106 degrees in Escondido and Poway; 104 degrees in La Mesa, Santee, El Cajon and Fallbrook; and 103 degrees in Rancho Bernardo and Lemon Grove.

Forecasters say temperatures will moderate a little on Wednesday, but it’ll feel really warm due to the humidity. A cooling trend is expected Thursday.

In East County, the winds sent parts of some trees flying, including one that hit the front end of a school bus in Spring Valley. The special education bus had six to eight students on board when a large tree came down at Jamacha Boulevard and Huron Street in the Spring Valley area about 1:30 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

A La Mesa-Spring Valley School District official said no students were hurt and another bus was brought in to get them home.

Several trees were downed in Rancho San Diego shopping centers around the same time. Cal Fire Capt. Kendall Bortisser said trees smashed cars in a Bank of America lot on Avocado Boulevard at Calle Verde, and other trees came down in the California Trust & Savings lot. Hours later, downed branches were still piled high and warning tape blocked most of the entrances to the retail center.

Bortisser said he was at the Cal Fire station in Rancho San Diego when the 20-minute storm blast hit.

“Wind, rain, hail, lightning, thunder - it was crazy,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. The skies just opened up.”

People reported more trees down at Rancho Road, Hidden Mesa Road, Centinella Drive, Tropico Drive and Resmar Road in Mt. Helix area, according to the CHP.

At Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego, several trees were blown over and hit at least four cars in the student parking lot, said Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District spokeswoman Anne Krueger.

In addition, tennis court nets were down and a tent structure near a running track blew away.

At the Grossmont College campus in El Cajon, the brief storm burst also brought rain and pea-sized hail, Krueger said.

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