Strong winds knock out power at LAX and in Venice

Fierce Santa Ana winds struck Wednesday evening, knocking out power to parts of Los Angeles International Airport and at least one neighborhood in Venice.

At LAX, there was no lighting in the central terminal area parking structures except parking structure 6, officials said. Terminals were dark except for minimal emergency lighting. Traffic lights in adjacent intersections also were out.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said there were no immediate reports of flights being affected by the blackout.

In Venice, residents in the Walk Street neighborhood west of Lincoln Boulevard reported shortly after 7 p.m. that the lights had been out for at least 15 minutes. Earlier, lights in the area had gone off and come back on.

The National Weather Service was predicting a significant wind event with gusts up to 80 mph in the mountains.

No other details were immediately available.

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-- Andrew Blankstein (twitter.com/anblanx) and Robert J. Lopez (twitter.com/LAJourno)

Photo: Traffic flows past darkened structures at Los Angeles International Airport.

Credit: Alan Hagman / Los Angeles Times