Posted Thursday, December 1, 2011 --- 5:20 a.m.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Fierce Santa Ana winds hit Southern California on Wednesday night, causing scattered power outages and property damage.

The National Weather Service says the windstorm was expected to peak early Thursday and will last through Friday. Winds up to 80 mph were expected in some areas.

SoCal Edison says some 14,200 customers experienced power outages.

At Los Angeles International Airport, lights went out in the passenger terminals and on surrounding roads for about an hour. That caused flight and road traffic delays,

The FAA says about 20 diverted flights were sent to an Ontario, Calif. and two runways were closed due to strewn debris.

The Santa Ana winds are generated during cooler months when westward flowing wind currents reach fierce speeds as they squeeze through mountain ranges.

Copyright 2011. The Associated Press.