Inland Empire Residents Caught Off-Guard By Intensity Of Wind

HESPERIA (CBSLA.com) — Intense, heavy winds impacted most of the Inland Empire on Monday as part of a storm system moving through the area.

High desert residents, who are used to experiencing moderately heavy winds, say the day's gusts and cold caught even them off-guard.

"I heard it's blowing in a storm, so we were kind of expecting it, but it's a little more than what we were expecting," motorist James Vannaman said.

Anything in Hesperia that wasn't tied or nailed down was fair game for the winds, which began worrying some residents.

"I'm so glad I didn't wash my hair today," Inland Empire resident Laurie Libby said. "I was just watching the palm tree, wondering if it was going to topple, because I have never seen them rock like that."

Drivers spent the day looking out for dust, tumbleweeds, falling tree limbs, and runaway shopping carts.

A wind advisory remained in place Monday evening, as gusts are expected to stay as high as 55 miles per hour as a cold front pushes through the Southland.