Area weathers winter storm

Deepa Bharath

The winter storm that blew through the area on Monday night didn’t do

much damage locally, officials said.

No incidents were reported in Costa Mesa. Newport Beach had one

fallen tree on San Joaquin Hills Road, said David Niederhaus, the

city’s director of General Services.

“We haven’t had any significant effects as a result of the storm,”

he said. “We haven’t had problems with flooding or high tide.”

The city has also been preparing for the storm season, Niederhaus

said.

“We’ve been making sure to trim the palms and other trees which

tend to fall,” he said.

However, city workers will feel the effects of Monday night’s

storm a week from now, Niederhaus said.

“We’re going to get all that debris coming down San Diego Creek

and washing up on our beaches,” he said. “I’m guessing we’ll get at

least 50 to 100 tons of debris a week from now.”

Newport Harbor was also quiet Monday night, Harbor Patrol Sgt.

Karl Von Voigt said.

“We weren’t expecting anything major,” he said. “Usually, during

such storms, when we have high gusts of wind, we get either boats

breaking loose from the docks or their moorings.”

A small craft advisory, however, stayed in effect through Tuesday

night, Von Voigt said.

“We’re suggesting that small crafts and boaters who are not too

experienced not go out into the water,” he said. “Just as a

precaution.”

The area can expect more winter storms this month and in March,

said Brandt Maxwell, a meteorologist with the National Weather

Service in San Diego.

John Wayne Airport got a little more than half an inch of rainfall

between 4 p.m. Monday and 4 p.m. Tuesday, he said.

“It was a decent winter storm system,” Maxwell said.

The rest of the week should be pretty mellow, he said.

“We can expect scattered showers here and there,” Maxwell said.

“But this one’s done for the most part.”