Here's some startling video from ABC News—the strong, dry offshore winds known as Santa Ana are hitting southern California unusually hard. Reaching speeds of 60 mph in Los Angeles and more than twice that in the mountains, the winds caused power outages, felled trees, and at one point blacked out LAX airport. Several other states are also experiencing high wind, including Utah, where 90 mph gusts reportedly toppled semi-trailer rigs.

Potential damage from the wind isn't the only threat this sort of extreme weather carries; fire officials warn that such intense gusts can intensify the spread of brush fires.

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