More than a dozen utility lines and some trees across the city have been blown down in what officials are calling the “coldest storm of the season, and possibly the last several years,” to hit Long Beach and much of Southern California.

Since winds started picking up Tuesday afternoon, the Long Beach Fire Department has received 16 reports of downed utility lines—five yesterday and 11 today, department spokesperson Jake Heflin said late Wednesday morning.

“For us, the responsibility is to get there and make sure the area is safe and there’s not an immediate threat or hazard,” Heflin said.

It was not immediately clear if any residents were impacted by any power outages as a result of any utility lines falling, although Southern California Edison shows there are no current outages across the city.

Heflin said there have been no significant damage events or injuries reported across the city, although there have been some incidents of trees falling on cars.

On First Street and Claremont Avenue, for example, a large tree fell on top of a white sedan.

A tree falls and blocks the street and takes a white sedan as a victim at First Street and Claremont Avenue as the wind picks up from a major storm that moved in from the west in Long Beach Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.

Winds reached more than 30 miles per hour in most of Long Beach last night, peaking at around 11:25 p.m. when wind speeds reached 35 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. Some areas also received light rain, according to the NWS.

The highest wind speed in the city, according to the NWS, hit 66 mph at the Henry Ford Bridge near the Port of Long Beach at 10:12 p.m. last night.

As of Wednesday morning, although sunny, wind speeds were still at around 20 miles per hour in Long Beach, according to the NWS.

Forecasts show high wind speeds and rain are expected to continue throughout the week.

Edison representatives urge anyone who sees a downed power line to stay away and contact them at 800-611-1911 or local emergency services.

Dry palms lie on the ground at Second Street and Campo Walk on Naples as high winds break them off during a major storm, which moved in from the west in Long Beach Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.

‘Coldest storm of the season’ coming this week. Wind, rain and high surf expected