Cleanup continues in Indian Wells & Palm Desert after severe storm

The cleanup continues in Palm Desert and Indian Wells after a severe summer storm cut a path of destruction, knocking over trees, dropping power lines, and tearing apart roofs.

Thursday’s storm knocked out power to about 3000 customers in Palm Desert. Hundreds went through the heat of the day without air conditioning.

Crews worked through the night and into the day to clear trees and repair power lines.

“I am amazed and impressed with the city and the county or whoever did this because just from last night at 10 o’clock to now it almost looks like 75 percent different,” said Robin Breanda of Palm Desert.

The Indian Wells Golf Resort received a lot of damage on the Celebrity Golf Course. Tress were uprooted or snapped and bunkers were flooded.

“Just looking at it with a rough estimate with lost revenues we are looking at a $1 million worth of damage, with upwards of 1000 trees on the ground,” said Joe Williams, director of golf at the Indian Wells Golf Resort.

“We will have quite a bit of work with clearing stumps and trees and a significant amount of bunker work on this golf course as well as the other golf course with the flooding and compaction and liners that have been washed out,” said Steven Rosen the general manager of the Indian Wells Golf Resort.

The other golf course at the resort, the Players Course, will reopen Saturday morning.

A group of golfers, some of whom traveled from as far as New York, came to play at the Indian Wells Golf Resort. They weren’t be able to play both the Celebrity and Players course, but they aren’t letting that stop them from having a good time.

“To be honest with you, last year we played both courses and the Players Course is my preferred course, because I happened to get a hole in one last year, so I’d be more than happy to play it twice this year,” said John Hillenbrant who is visiting from Albany, NY.

It could take up to 6 weeks before the Celebrity Course can be opened for golfers.