(December 28, 2004, last updated 4:00 p.m.) -- Fierce winds and rain lashed Long Beach this morning, downing trees and flooding streets. Belmont Shore and Peninsula aeras were among the areas hardest hit.

At midafternoon, city staff reported surfable waves from roughly 67th to 72nd Place on the Peninsula...and two surfers were spotted zipping up their suits, grabbing boards and hitting the waves, a City Hall advisory said. [LB's Health Dept. has repeatedly warned NOT to swim in the ocean during or soon after a rain storm due to pollution from storm drains.]

Edison said that at one point, nearly 1,200 Belmont Shore area residents were without power...plus 500 more citywide (we heard of at least one in Lakewood Village). Some Peninsula area residents reported power being restored about noon.

A large tree toppled onto two cars in the 100 block of Glendora Ave.

The top of the tree clobbered this car on the west side of Glendora...

...and the heavier part of the trunk crushed this car on the east side of the street.

City crews brought chain saws and other serious equipment.

The tree appeared to have been literally uprooted by the winds.

Downed trees were also reported in the following areas: Atlantic/5th St; 200 block Monrovia; 2200 block Canehill; 3100 block Karen; 200 block Newport; 1000 block Park; 3500 block E. 2d St; 1500 block Stanton; and 2000 block Oregon.

Winds tore off palm fronds, scattering them onto 2d St. and adjacent sidwalks near Ravenna Dr. City Hall said Public Works sweeping crews were reassigned to deal with this and other messes citywide.

LBReport.com received reports of power outages from Lakewood Village (power out shortly before 8 a.m.) and the Peninsula (power out, then dim at midmorning).

Intersections were reported flooded at Bellflower Blvd. @ Atherton, Redondo Ave. between Anaheim and 11th; Studebaker/Westminster; Studebaker/Willow; Claremore/Wardlow and 2200 W. Willow at T.I. freeway was closed.

At beach area parking lots, waves flooded the 72nd St. lot which city crews are handling. At the Junipero Beach parking lot, a sand berm was built. Erosion was reported in the vicinity of 67th Place, also being handled by city crews.

City Hall says rescue boats worked throughout the night resecuring boats in Rainbow Harbor.

Several of LB's famed floating Christmas trees capsized. Several decorative banners and stanchions along Marina Drive were damaged.

In an emailed advisory, LB city staff said several factors produced an unusual ocean swell from the south. Normally, during winter storms, a westerly swell runs ahead of and with the story...but in this storm, the swell came from the opposite direction...A 5.9' high tide occurred just after 9:00 a.m., producing higher water levels on the beach and inner bays than normally associated with a tide of that height. A wind event also produced unusual breaking waves offshore adjacent to the oil islands, the advisory said.

The footing for the navigational light at the end of the First Place jetty was undermined and electrical service to the light was severed. The footing and light itself have been temporarily secured and power will be restored following the storm.

"Much debris is coming down the L.A. River, and the County's boom released it as it is designed to do in high flow events. There is some debris in the harbor area, but nothing like the debris created by the October storms. Staff now has the debris boom operational on a temporary basis," City Hall advised.

City Hall also reported that city staff is handling the following at city facilities:

LB Golf Courses: