Fraser Valley — BC Ferries have cancelled a number of sailings on Thursday as the windstorm came on shore. By lunchtime, the winds started to hit Abbotsford with a vengeance. Abbotsford Police Cst. Walker posted a few pictures to Twitter, to show what happened when the wind got a hold of a barn. (See below)
Freelance Broadcaster Shawn Glazier called into FVN stating that Abbotsford had seen gusts of over 100 km/h before Noon.
Boats in White Rock at the pier came loose from their mooring, and some smashed the centre portion of the pier, stranding one person. That person was airlifted off by a CFB Cormorant chopper that flew in from Comox.
Windows were blown out of a new apartment building under construction in Abbotsford, and one man died after he was struck by a falling tree in Duncan.
This storm is being compared to the 2015 storm, which happened in August and those winds blacked out power to 500,000 customers, and caused chaos for the PNE.
The December 2006 storm created a micro burst that leveled a swath of trees in Stanley Park.
In both cases, winds like this storm, gusted/peaked at 100 km/h.
Just before 1PM Lynda Kersey took to Facebook and told FVN:
Sitting on highway 1 just passed Abbotsford. Highway partly shut down due to fallen trees. Giant fir trees are blowing and swaying back and forth like grass in the wind. Makes you hope you will get past the stands of trees by the time the next gust of wind arrives
Chilliwack Landing Leisure Centre1
Good afternoon patrons, the facility is currently closed due to a power outage. We will update with further information as we learn more.
