Swirling winds knocked down trees and power lines across Santa Barbara and Goleta on Christmas Eve, causing multiple reports of heavy traffic and power outages throughout the county.
The weather event followed a morning rain, and around 10 a.m. the gusty winds suddenly picked up and sent branches falling off trees, causing traffic while people were busy finishing their last-minute holiday shopping.
By 10:30 a.m., emergency services were receiving multiple reports of power lines down in Santa Barbara and Goleta, and according to Santa Barbara County Fire spokesperson Captain Scott Safechuck, fire crews had already begun clearing trees that fell on Highway 101 between Turnpike Road and Patterson Avenue.
By 11 a.m., some street lights in downtown Santa Barbara and along Hollister Avenue were still without power, and several businesses reported outages while others were able to maintain their services. Near Foothill Road, fire crews could be seen working to knock down a small brush fire caused by a downed power line.
As of 11:45 a.m., power was still out for some residences in Goleta and Santa Barbara. Winds are expected to continue off and on throughout the day, and emergency crews are working to restore services.