Lightning strike hit East Sacramento traffic signal, shorting electronics and burning wiring
Lightning struck a traffic signal Sunday afternoon in East Sacramento, knocking it offline, city officials said.
The strike hit a signal pole at Alhambra Boulevard and J Street around 4:30 p.m.
“It shorted electronic components in the signal and burned some underground wiring,” the city said in a news release.
Repairs are ongoing, and are expected to be completed by the end of the week, according to the news release. For now, the intersection is currently functioning as a four-way stop.
A storm system passing through Northern California arrived in Sacramento on Sunday. It brought little rainfall to the downtown area, with just 0.05 inches recorded that day, according to the National Weather Service.
But the ongoing storm has included isolated thunderstorms that apparently made their way just east of the city’s central grid on Sunday.
Thunderstorms were also observed farther east in Sacramento County, including near Orangevale and Citrus Heights, where the weather service on Sunday recorded more than half an inch of rain.
Light showers and isolated thunderstorms are forecast to continue through Wednesday in Northern California.
This story was originally published September 20, 2022 at 8:43 AM.
