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Woman and her two dogs killed by a lightning strike in LA County

A woman and her two dogs were fatally struck by lightning in Pico Rivera today as a storm front pushed across the Southland and led to power outages and beach closures.

The lightning strike in Pico Rivera occurred around 8:50 a.m. when the woman was walking along the San Gabriel River, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

The woman and her dogs both died at the scene.  

"There's a one-in-a-million chance of something like this happening, and it happened,'' Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Patrick Morey told the Los Angeles Times.

According to the county fire department, the woman was struck near Mines and Rimbank avenues.

It was a tragic turn in the morning peppered by scattered thunderstorms that made for a damp morning commute in some areas, sparked at least one small brush fire, and caused lightning strikes that forced temporary closures of Orange County beaches in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach.

All beaches in Long Beach were closed late Wednesday morning due to a "significant lightning strike within the breakwall,'' according to the city Fire Department.  

The Pasadena Fire Department reported several "lightning-related palm tree fires'' Wednesday morning, and by mid-morning was responding to a blaze above Eaton Canyon.

"Please try to stay indoors during this unstable weather and have your disaster supplies ready if you lose power,'' the fire department warned residents.

News Channel 3 has issued a First Alert Weather Alert Day for the monsoonal storm.

"Storms are likely to develop over local mountains and could then move into the Coachella Valley. Rainfall amounts would be very limited, except directly under a thunderstorm," writes News Channel 3 Meteorologist Patrick Evans.

As of Noon, we've had some reports of scattered showers, particularly in the west end of the Coachella Valley.

Have you downloaded the 'KESQ First Alert' app yet? It's FREE! Click here.

You'll stay up-to-date with the latest weather videos. In addition, be able to monitor the changing conditions from wherever you are!

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City News Service

Jesus Reyes

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