A Santa Barbara City Fire Department engine on Calle Malaga Tuesday night after a utility pole snapped during the storm, causing a power outage in the area.
A Santa Barbara City Fire Department engine on Calle Malaga Tuesday night after a utility pole snapped during the storm, causing a power outage in the area.

Parts of Santa Barbara City — near Elings Park and along the Westside — lost power late Tuesday night after a large thunderstorm hit the area.

The outage was affecting 3,335 customers, according to the Southern California Edison Co.

Numerous traffic signals were reported out in the affected area.

Emergency personnel also responded to reports of downed power lines, according to emergency radio traffic.

The top of one power pole had snapped off on the 900 block of Flora Vista, per emergency radio traffic.

Edison expected power to return for most affected areas by 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. About 100 customers were still without power as of 7:30 a.m.

The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning just after 9 p.m. for Santa Barbara, Goleta and Isla Vista, noting that wind gusts of more than 70 mph were possible.

Santa Barbara Police Department advised people to avoid the 400 block of Garden Street Wednesday morning due to debris in the roadway from the strong winds.

— Noozhawk South County editor Evelyn Spence can be reached at espence@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.