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Wind and waves impact the waterfront and South Coast neighborhoods during the holiday season

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - The last couple of weeks have been a mix of harsh wave events and surprisingly strong and damaging winds in Santa Barbara County.

Tuesday, just before Christmas, winds estimated at over 50 miles per hour came charging through an area around eastern Goleta and western Santa Barbara.

Tree limbs snapped, debris was flying in all directions and Christmas decorations were blown over for some residents.

At the Perry Ford dealership in Santa Barbara a window to the display floor broke out.

Two vehicles in neighborhoods in Goleta were badly damaged by falling branches. One truck was hit right on the top. An SUV had a smashed windshield along with damage to the roof.

Power was out to hundreds of customers with branches in the wires. Southern California Edison crews were overwhelmed with calls. Other utility lines were also broken for cable TV and phones.

Walking around their neighborhood near Bishop Diego High School where winds were strong and damaging, two students on their break said they stayed inside until the event calmed down.

Mateo Barreto said, "they were saying stay inside. It was safer inside. The winds just picked up really fast. It was crazy."  

Pets were scared by the event said Diego Figueroa while walking his dog who said he had "to go chase it."

At the Santa Barbara waterfront, there was a cleanup in the Yacht Club parking lot that had sand and impacts from the tidal overflow recently.

The area was not hit as hard as we have seen in the recent years but it needed hours of cleanup.

None of the nearby businesses were impacted and they remained open.

The area was very crowded with visitors and local residents on vacation enjoying the harbor vibe.

Article Topic Follows: Santa Barbara - South County

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John Palminteri

John Palminteri is senior reporter for KEYT News Channel 3-12. To learn more about John, click here.

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