LOS ANGELES — Powerful winds toppled a number of trees around the Los Angeles area Thursday, damaging cars and houses in neighborhoods including Lake Balboa, Altadena, Pasadena and La Crescenta.

Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters responded to the 16600 block of West Victory Boulevard about 2:15 a.m. in Lake Balboa, where they found several cars blocking driveways and a tree on top of one of them, according to the LAFD.

Video footage showed the tree fell onto one lane of Victory and downed power lines hovered over and covered some vehicles. Officials from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power were notified.

Winds also blew down a tree in San Fernando on Lucas Street, and another in Pasadena in the 1700 block of Locust Street in Pasadena.

About 11 a.m. in La Crescenta, a large tree fell onto a house in the 5400 block of Pineridge Drive, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. No one was hurt, the fire department reported.

The resident told reporters she was in the basement at the time when she heard a crash.

“It sounded like an explosion, to be honest,” she said. “I immediately ran upstairs, I was on the phone with my brother, I was like `something happened, a tree was through my house.’ I ran outside.

“Luckily the gardener was here. He came out and checked on me, made sure everyone was OK. ... It pretty much collapsed the living room, the kitchen. Thank God I wasn’t in the kitchen. If I had been at the sink, I’d have a tree through my head right now. But I’m still in my pajamas. I haven’t even had  chance to even really fully process it. But hopefully we can get it all taken care of really quickly.”

Early Thursday afternoon, what appeared to be at least two large trees fell onto a home in the 1100 block of Beverly Way in Altadena. No injuries were reported.

A high wind warning will be in effect until 4 p.m. in many areas of the Southland thanks to a “strong to moderate” Santa Ana wind event.

The National Weather Service called for winds of 25 to 40 mph in those areas, gusting up to 60 mph, with the strongest winds in the hills and mountains.