HOLTVILLE — The City of Holtville is assessing widespread damage and has declared a State of Emergency after a powerful and sudden windstorm swept through the area on Monday afternoon, knocking out power to the city and surrounding residents.

The extreme weather event began with gale force winds that created dense dust clouds, followed by a period of heavy rain. The high winds proved particularly destructive, felling numerous trees across the city and, more critically, knocking down several of the Imperial Irrigation District’s power transmission poles. The resulting power outage left the city and surrounding area without electricity for several hours.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, City personnel activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at City Hall. The EOC, operating

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