A 61-year-old Santa Rosa man is dead and a young woman is hospitalized with major injuries after a powerful windstorm battered the region on Sunday.
Per the Press Democrat, authorities say Ralph Harrington was struck and killed by a falling branch on Howard Street as wind gusts topped 40 miles per hour across the city.
Firefighters and CalFire crews responded to a massive surge in emergency calls for downed trees, blocked roads, and blown transformers. The high winds also toppled utility lines, leaving thousands of local residents in the dark.
While weather conditions are expected to ease up today, PG&E crews are still working to restore electricity to scattered clusters of customers across Sonoma County.
