Tree uproots, falls amid winds and rain in Citrus Heights

By Sara Beth Williams–
Heavy rainfall and winds moving through the region last week sent at least one tree toppling over and caused wires to come down in Citrus Heights.

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District responded to a report of wires down on Cook Avenue and Mariposa Avenue on Thursday afternoon during the rainy weather. Residents on social media reportedly heard an explosion, and over 100 residents were listed as without power by SMUD outage maps. Later, residents reported not being able to drive down Cook Avenue and posted a photo of a large tree that had fallen across the street.

The uprooted tree was observed on Friday morning blocking a portion of Cook Avenue. Crews were on scene working to remove the tree around 8 a.m.

The Sentinel reached out via phone and email to the city Friday morning requesting a summary of any other storm-related calls, but city staff did not return a request for information by press time Saturday.

A visit to Midway of Fun, a carnival that opened on Wednesday in front of the Sunrise Mall, found the grounds vacant of patrons and attractions closed on Thursday. An update on Midway of Fun’s Facebook page confirmed that the carnival closed due to the rain on Thursday, Feb. 6. The fair is expected to continue operating through Feb. 16 according to their website.

Consistent rain didn’t stop firefighters, however, who continued to stand at Sunrise Boulevard and Greenback Lane in rain gear on Thursday during the Firefighters’ Burn Institute’s annual Boot Drive, which raises money for burn victims. The boot drive is expected to last through Sunday.

In February 2024, power outages caused by extremely high winds were in the tens of thousands for Citrus Heights SMUD customers. A SMUD press release dated Feb. 5, 2024, said an estimated 200,000 customers in the Sacramento region experienced a power outage during the height of a storm on Feb. 4, 2024.