Monsoon storms serve as reminder to prepare

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ)— A powerful monsoon storm swept through parts of the Calexico region Wednesday, bringing a haboob that sweep through the eastern Coachella Valley.

While the valley avoided major impacts from the storm, the weather served as a reminder that monsoon storms can develop quickly and bring dangerous conditions.

Imperial Irrigation District said about 5,000 customers remained without power across parts of Imperial County following the storm. More than 60 transmission and distribution lines were knocked down in the Calexico area.

The utility said preparation begins before severe weather arrives.

IID recommends residents prepare for possible outages by keeping drinking water, flashlights and extra batteries on hand.

The utility also urges people to stay away from downed power lines and assume they are energized.

With monsoon season continuing, officials say residents should monitor weather forecasts and alerts and be ready to act when storms develop.