By Maggie Bunzel

This past week, windstorms of incredible strength hit the San Gabriel Valley, wiping out the power for thousands of people, and leaving students panicked in the midst of homework and studying. Pasadena, which was hit hardest by the powerful winds, encountered horrible traffic problems due to uprooted trees and fallen branches. Across the Valley, falling branches caused power lines to fail, shutting off electricity for hundreds of blocks.

“It looked like a war had just come threw it.” Justin Carr ‘14, resident of Pasadena, said.

Carr was sitting at his desk, doing homework when the lights began flickering and then went out.

“It was very dark and cold and the wind was so loud. It sounded like a twister from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ was in my backyard.” Carr said.

Due to the lack of light, Carr had to end his homework earlier, compromising his two tests the next day.

“I went to sleep and felt very vulnerable to Mother Nature.” Carr said.

Similarly, Halsey Robertson ’13, Pasadena resident, had to sleep far from the windows in her room, as the wind was so loud she was afraid the windows would break.

“The winds were very extreme and were beating the windows all night. Some of my neighbors’ windows broke due to the winds and many trees have been split or been completely uprooted. “ Robertson said.

Maneuvering around Pasadena became a challenge for both Carr and Robertson this past week, who both make the long bus ride to Studio City twice a day.

“The sidewalks are now very messed up and there are trees in the middle of the streets. Many traffic lights also don’t have electricity, so the traffic is horrendous. It goes one car at a time.” Robertson said.

The wind has even affected local stores, whose signs have been ripped off the front of buildings. While different areas finally have electricity back, there are some neighborhoods that are still without power.

“Many trees have fallen on cars and homes. Telephone lines have also fallen over. I’m lucky everything is back to normal in my house.” Robertson said.

In Encino, students David Hoffman ’13, Theodora Davis ’13 and Elana Meer ’13 gathered at a local Starbucks when the power went out and they had to finish their homework.

“To be honest, it was one of the scariest nights of my life,” Robertson said, “It felt like a hurricane, but without the rain.”