Crews quickly responded all over the Valley, repairing blown transformers and downed power lines. The Cristobal family believes lightning struck a power pole outside their apartment, giving them quite a light show.
"We were just watching TV and suddenly the light went off and we just heard a really loud noise," Diana Cristobal said. "I looked outside and it was just bright sparkles from the light cords."
Fresno Police officers closed off one block in the area to keep people away from the live power line that was left dangling in the street.
The wet weather is being blamed for blowing out another transformer over in Clovis. That power problem left an intersection without power or traffic control.
"Some people were obeying the rules of the road and making it a four way stop," said Sgt. Brett Hershberger from the Clovis Police Department. "We had an unlicensed driver that didn't follow the rules, came to a partial stop, went through the intersection and took out two other vehicles."
The area was hit by heavy rain. Autumn leaves likely blocked most of the storm drains, causing water to rise up above the curbs. And about a mile up the road there was another crash. Several heavily damaged cars blocked off Herndon and Villa for a while Wednesday night.
PG&E reports nearly 5,000 Fresno customers lost power during between 6:30 and 7:30 Wednesday evening.
