El Niño storm leaves 150,000 without power, 1 dead in Southern California

Ferocious winds and intense rains pummeled Southern California, leaving one driver dead and more than 150,000 in the dark.

Massive trees snapped like toothpicks, causing damage from San Diego to north of Los Angeles.

In San Diego, an 80-foot tall tree fell on a car Sunday, killing the driver, Fire-Rescue Capt. Joe Amador said.

Across Southern California, hundreds of work crews scrambled to try to restore power to more than 150,000 people who lost electricity in the storm.

And there’s more fierce weather to come. Powerful winds from 25-40 mph will gust up to 60 mph Monday from the mountains of Los Angeles to San Diego, CNN meteorologist Rachel Aissen said.

Some residents in Los Angeles County could see 2 to 4 inches of snow Monday, Aissen said. Areas with higher elevations — over 4,000 feet — could get more than 6 inches of snow.

The utility company Southern California Edison has sent 200 crews to help 80,000 customers without power. It gave several tips for dealing with power outages and protecting against power surges:

— Always back up important work and files on computers

— Keep gas tanks at least half full, as gas stations need electricity to pump gas

— Install surge protectors to safeguard valuable electronics

Ice dams choke off community

The intense weather wasn’t limited to Southern California.

In the northeast part of the state, ice dams formed on the South Fork of the Yuba River, CNN affiliate KCRA reported.

The frozen blockades — and a recent onslaught of rain — caused a backlog of water, flooding parts of Soda Springs, the affiliate said.

“We can blame it on El Niño,” Vick Ferrera of the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services told KCRA.

By Sunday night, the affiliate said, crews managed to break through an ice dam, allowing some of the water to subside.