High Winds Kill Man with Falling Branch

Santa Rosa officials said strong winds on Sunday killed one man and seriously injured a woman after falling branches struck them in separate incidents, as a broader wind event drove fire danger across Northern California. The Santa Rosa Fire Department and police responded to more than 15 wind-related calls beginning Sunday afternoon, according to local reports citing city officials. Weather stations in Santa Rosa recorded gusts above 40 mph, while higher-elevation sites elsewhere in the region saw much stronger winds. The National Weather Service and CAL FIRE had warned that the combination of gusty winds, low humidity and dry vegetation could rapidly spread new fires. ### Where did the fatal branch strike happen? Santa Rosa officials said the man was struck in the 800 block of Howard Street on Sunday and later died at a hospital. KRON identified him as Ralph Harrington and said he had been celebrating his 61st birthday with family when the branch fell. The City of Santa Rosa said first responders were handling multiple weather-related emergencies at the time, including downed power lines, fallen trees and outages. (cbsnews.com) Bay City News and other local outlets, citing city officials, said the incidents began around Sunday afternoon and continued for several hours. ### What is known about the injured woman? (kron4.com) Santa Rosa officials said a 23-year-old woman was seriously injured in the 300 block of Steele Lane in a separate branch strike on Sunday. She was taken to a hospital with major injuries, according to city officials cited by local news outlets. CBS San Francisco reported that police and firefighters linked both incidents to the same period of strong winds that swept through the North Bay over the weekend. (localnewsmatters.org) The city did not immediately release further details about her condition. ### How strong were the winds across the region? The National Weather Service said a dry “inside slider” pattern brought widespread gusty north winds to Northern California over the weekend. (ktvu.com) CBS San Francisco reported forecast gusts of 35 to 45 mph, with isolated gusts up to 50 mph around the Delta, western Sacramento Valley, coastal points and mountain peaks. (cbsnews.com) Patch and other reports said the strongest measured gust reached 86 mph at Mount St. Helena. In Santa Rosa itself, city weather stations recorded gusts exceeding 40 mph during the period when crews were responding to falling branches and outages. ### Why did fire agencies issue warnings? The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for parts of the Sacramento Valley, Delta and northern San Joaquin Valley because gusty winds were expected to combine with low humidity. (cbsnews.com) CAL FIRE also warned residents to avoid activities that could spark a wildfire as vegetation dried under unseasonable heat. (msn.com) The Sacramento forecast office said Monday evening that northerly winds had diminished enough for the red flag warning to expire at 8 p.m. The warning had covered a broad stretch of inland Northern California, including parts of Solano, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and surrounding counties. ### What other damage did the winds cause? (cbsnews.com) Santa Rosa officials said the winds caused widespread outages and other hazards across the city. Local reports said crews dealt with blown transformers, downed lines and trees falling onto vehicles as the strongest gusts moved through. USA Today reported that the same wind event also contributed to outages and at least one vegetation fire elsewhere in the Bay Area. (forecast.weather.gov) Regional broadcasters reported hazardous coastal surf and marine conditions at the same time, underscoring how broad the weather system was. (localnewsmatters.org) ### What happens next? The National Weather Service Sacramento office said the red flag warning ended Monday night after winds weakened. Santa Rosa’s official news page remains the city’s public source for updates, while the Sacramento weather office continues to post fire-weather statements and forecast changes. (forecast.weather.gov) (usatoday.com)