storm — Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian High winds shoved over several utility poles, power lines and trees on 100 block of Mar Monte between San Andreas Road and Highway 1 around 1pm Tuesday, forcing firefighters have closed the road.

Winds, rain lash region

March 21, 2023

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The first day of spring blew its way into the Central Coast Tuesday, toppling trees and power lines across roadways and buildings across the county.

Winds estimated as high as 80 miles per hour are pounding the region, causing chaos on the roadways as trees topple and emergency officials respond to multiple vehicle collisions across Santa Cruz County.

Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian High winds shoved over several utility poles, power lines and trees on 100 block of Mar Monte between San Andreas Road and Highway 1 around 1pm Tuesday, forcing firefighters to close the road.

Scores of trees toppled into power and communication lines across the county, forcing officials to close dozens of roads.

Numerous eucalyptus trees have also crashed to the pavement across Larkin Valley Road.

Tarmo Hannula

Tarmo Hannula has been the lead photographer with The Pajaronian newspaper in Watsonville since 1997. He also reports on a wide range of topics, including police, fire, environment, schools, the arts and events. A fifth generation Californian, Tarmo was born in the Mother Lode of the Sierra (Columbia) and has lived in Santa Cruz County since the late 1970s. He earned a BA from UC Santa Cruz and has traveled to 33 countries.