SAN DIEGO — Strong and damaging winds are expected to continue into Wednesday from the coast to the deserts after a pleasant Tuesday afternoon that prompted many to exit their homes for a glimpse of some sunshine.
Gusty winds did damage in Balboa Park, knocking down a 110-foot eucalyptus tree along the train tracks near the carousel.
“We’re just keeping an eye out on a lot of those trees especially the ones near heavily trafficked areas, either vehicle or pedestrian,” said Jose Ysea with the City of San Diego.
It’s a place where 800 out of the park’s 18,000 trees foreshadow a collapse like the one in Balboa Park, as saturated turf and gusty winds pack a punch.
“We’re coming off the heels of a drought. During that time, a lot of tree roots will die, and that compromises the roots, they are dead now, and not holding onto the soil like a live root, so you got that coupled with very wet soil conditions along with heavy winds, it’s almost like a perfect storm,” Charles Morgan, an arborist with Tree San Diego, told FOX 5.
Meanwhile in Ocean Beach, local photographer Chris Mannerino was just one out of the many out and about Tuesday afternoon, followed by the first round of wild weather that morning.
“I’m here every day if not every other day…For a photographer I love the pier, it’s a great foreground for any sunsets,” said Mannerino, capturing the break in the rain in this wave of storms.
From onlookers soaking up sunshine, to the old pillars of the closed Ocean Beach pier, Mannerino was capturing it all through the eye of his lens before the storm clouds rolled through yet again.
A high wind warning is in effect along the coast Tuesday into the overnight hours, followed by dangerous surf set to hit Wednesday. A high surf advisory will go into effect and last until about Thursday, with waves breaking from 5 to 8 feet, and occasional sets up to 12 feet, all a potential for more wear and tear to Mannerino’s favorite office.
“Over the years, you see the decay, you see the cracks, you see the rust,” said Mannerino about the Ocean Beach pier.