Strong winds wreak havoc

At least one tree fell through the roof of a house during blustery winds Saturday, and some 3,700 PG&E customers lost power during the day as trees fell into power lines.

The 30-foot long top of a cedar tree fell tip first through the roof of a two-bedroom house on the 25500 block of Highway 108, east of Sierra Village. The home was occupied by Cathie Peacock and Bob Killgore.
 

Peacock was sitting in the living room, and Killgore was fixing lunch in the kitchen when they heard what Peacock said sounded like a bomb echoing through the house.

The treetop landed in the bedroom, about three inches from the bed, she said, breaking water lines on its way down. Water soaked everything in the bedroom before they could turn it off.

She said they had no water, propane or electricity and would probably have to spend the night in a motel. 

“Poor Bob only had on his sweats and robe,” she said, “and he can’t get to the dresser to get more clothes.”

Ironically, Peacock is a longtime volunteer with the American Red Cross.   

PG&E spokesman J.D. Guidi said as of 3 p.m. Saturday, most of the power outages were in Tuolumne County’s high country and the Jamestown area. There were no outages in Calaveras County as of 4 p.m. Saturday, he said.

As of Sunday, all power had been restored

Other wind-related problems logged by the California Highway Patrol and Sonora Police Department on Saturday included a downed tree with power lines in the road on Via Este Road and Highway 108, in Ranchos Poquitos, and a tree into power lines on Stewart Street in Sonora.

Caltrans closed Lyons-Bald Mountain Road at Apple Valley Road about 9 a.m. because of trees and power lines down across both traffic lanes. The road was reopened at 12:45 p.m.