Rains take a break as winds move in

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT-MESA -- After days of rain, heavy surf advisories and coastal

flood warnings, the weather Friday began to give residents a break.

Officials said they were relieved there was no heavy rain Friday.

Another heavy downpour could have caused problems with storm drains,

they said.

The water pooled in some streets but it was constantly being pumped

out by city crews, said Newport Beach Fire and Marine Capt. John Blauer.

“The worst part of the storm is gone,” he said. “The next big headache

will be the winds.”

On Thursday, the weather was responsible for a fatal morning accident

on MacArthur Boulevard, which killed a 44-year-old Irvine woman.

Gusty winds are forecasted for at least the next couple of days and

that could cause trees to fall down, Blauer said.

“Also, if it continues to be cold, we could have problems with respect

to power usage,” he added, referring to the state’s current power crisis.

Things also became quieter for Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol

officers in Newport Harbor after nights of boats breaking loose and

drifting into the ocean and funnel clouds threatening to touch down near

the beach.

“We’ve been pumping out water from boats,” said Harbor Master Capt.

Marty Kasules. “Otherwise, nothing much has happened.”

On Thursday night until midnight, six harbor patrol deputies, double

the usual number, were on duty as a precaution, he said.

While there was no heavy rain or wind as of Friday afternoon, the sky

still looked “dark and ominous,” Kasules said.

“We’ll staff depending on the weather,” he added.

A warning is still in effect for smaller boats, Kasules said. There

have been several reports of water spouts off the Orange County coast,

according to the National Weather Service’s Web site. These are caused by

funnel clouds touching down on water and have the ability to topple

boats.

The heavy surf advisory issued Wednesday was canceled at 9 p.m.

Friday. The coastal flood warnings also have been canceled. The weather

service predicts a break over the weekend, with warmer temperatures

rising into the 60s and patchy fog.