Yesterday in Santa Rosa turned tragic when a large tree branch snapped in high winds and fatally struck a man in a residential neighborhood, while a second falling branch in another part of town left a young woman seriously injured.
The man was hit on the 800 block of Howard Street during a burst of strong afternoon gusts and was taken to a hospital, where he later died, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle reported that Santa Rosa crews were slammed with more than 15 wind-related calls starting around 3 PM, including downed power lines, blown transformers and at least one tree that crashed onto a vehicle. Officials did not immediately release additional personal details about the man.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office later identified the victim as Ralph Harrington of Santa Rosa, and the county coroner's division said it will investigate the exact cause of death, according to The Press Democrat. City fire officials described a day of back-to-back emergency responses as crews worked to clear hazards and treat injured residents.
In a separate incident on the 300 block of Steele Lane, a 23-year-old woman suffered major injuries after another falling branch hit her and was transported to a local hospital, according to CBS Bay Area. Neighbors and passersby helped secure the area while emergency teams moved in to remove hazards and check for additional damage.
Winds, Outages and Fire Risk
The National Weather Service warned of a dry offshore wind pattern that whipped up gusts above 40 mph in Santa Rosa, with isolated ridge-top readings climbing far higher during the event. Pacific Gas & Electric and local outlets reported thousands of customers without power in the wake of the winds, with one tally putting Bay Area outages at more than 13,000 customers early Monday and nearly 6,700 of those in the North Bay. Utilities said some planned safety shutoffs were still in effect as crews inspected lines and equipment for damage, according to KTVU.
What Officials Urged
Santa Rosa firefighters urged residents to stay away from downed trees and power lines so crews could work without added risk, and PG&E reminded customers to treat any fallen wires as live and to follow its public-safety outage guidance, according to PG&E. The Sonoma County coroner's office continues to investigate the death, and authorities asked anyone with video or other information about the incident to contact investigators, per The Press Democrat.
