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City Heights Resident Killed by Falling Tree as Christmas Eve Storm Batters San Diego County

Authorities link the fatal collapse to an atmospheric river that delivered dangerous southerly gusts with heavy rain.

Overview

  • A 64-year-old man died around 10:55 a.m. when part of a tree fell on him at Marlborough Avenue and Wightman Street in City Heights, according to police and fire officials.
  • Family members tried to free the victim before firefighters and police extricated him; he died at the scene as city arborists dismantled the split tree, and a separate section struck a nearby home without causing additional injuries.
  • Winds stronger than forecasts drove widespread damage and hazards, with gusts reaching 61 mph at Cuyamaca Peak, 59 mph at Imperial Beach and 52 mph in San Marcos under a countywide wind advisory and flood watch.
  • As many as 14,000 SDG&E customers lost power across multiple communities, and crews continued restoration work with outages first reported late morning.
  • San Diego International Airport logged 244 delays after the FAA reversed runway direction due to high winds, while Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency and local shelters extended inclement-weather operations; forecasters expected showers to linger through Friday.