Update: Reader Emily Huntoon was standing underneath the transformer when it blew. She had this to say about the experience in a comment on Patch:
The transformer on Walnut is in the alley directly above our garage. The transformer blew while I was on the sidewalk below within 15 feet of it!!! I dropped to the ground with my hoodie pulled over my head as the sparks showered me. I screamed and then ran when it stopped. That was one of the scariest things I've seen because I didn't know if a line was going to fall or if a fire would start within feet of me. It was a stressful couple of hours until the fireman knocked on my door to tell me we were in the clear and that the transformer was no longer active...tired now!!!
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Update (7:45 p.m.): The Monrovia outage is no longer listed on the SCE outage center. A business owner reported on Facebook that power has been restored.
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More than 2,700 Monrovia customers had their power knocked out by strong winds that also downed two power lines Tuesday night.
Power lines were downed at 917 Wild Rose Avenue and 205 W. Walnut Avenue, according to Monrovia Fire Chief Christopher Donovan. A transformer blew out at the Walnut address, Donovan said.
Residents have reported on Facebook to outages in Monrovia at Pavilions grocery store and in homes north of Foothill Boulevard. The Southern California Edison online power outage map shows 2,712 customers in Monrovia without power as of 6:58 p.m.
The boundaries of the outage are Hidden Valley Road to the north, Walnut Avenue to the south, Fifth Street to the west, and Encinitas to the east, according to an SCE spokesperson.
The outage center lists "weather conditions" as the cause of the outage. The estimated restoration time for most customers is 5:48 p.m. on Wednesday.
"We are assessing the damage," the site states.
