VANCOUVER — Trees toppled, power lines downed, flights delayed and ferries were cancelled as a storm system brought strong winds to British Columbia's coast and snow and rain to other parts of the province Thursday.
A person who was stranded on a pier in White Rock, B.C., needed to be rescued by helicopter after part of the structure collapsed in strong winds.
Oh man !!! #WhiteRockBC ⛈. pic.twitter.com/1uFOAEkpLh
— €xotic•Class (@anExoticClass) December 21, 2018
There has now been a successful rescue of storm watcher trapped on shattered #WhiteRock pier #bcstorm #WhiteRockBC #bcwindstorm pic.twitter.com/2UJGwTw06y
— Angela Sterritt (@AngelaSterritt) December 21, 2018
The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria says on Twitter a helicopter crew successfully hoisted the person to safety.
One person was also killed by a falling tree Thursday during a powerful windstorm.
Whiterock Pier is down. Boats broke loose and smashed onto pier due to windstorm.#whiterock #whiterockbc #pier #windstorm#britishcolumbia #beautifulbc #beautifuldestinations #canada #vancouver #explorecanada #explorebc#vancouverlife #explorebc #vanco… https://t.co/Yq9MqMMALu pic.twitter.com/D4YFR297IC
— Jun Amuan (@junamuan) December 21, 2018
Parts of southern British Columbia were hit by a powerful wind storm that left thousands of BC Hydro customers without power on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast.
There are more than 550 field staff working to restore power, and crews will be working around the clock until all damage is repaired. Due to the extent of the damage, many customers will be without power overnight – and for some customers it could be days. #BCStorm
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) December 21, 2018
BC Hydro said about 330,000 customers didn't have electricity on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and on the Sunshine Coast late Thursday afternoon.
Uprooted trees, snapped power lines and debris forced the closure of several streets and highways along the southern coast.
Environment Canada issued a wind warning for the area saying a powerful low pressure system was sweeping into the B.C. coast, bringing winds in the range of 70 to 90 km/h with gusts up to 100 km/h.
The winds also prompted cancellations or delays at BC Ferries for sailings between Nanaimo and Horseshoe Bay, Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, Tsawwassen to Duke Point and Tsawwassen to the Southern Gulf Islands.
After a long and brave fight, the one thing to see in White Rock has lost its battle against Mother Nature. #WindVsWood #WhiteRockBC pic.twitter.com/nuozzEZt2P
— Maya Klassen (@mayaklassen) December 20, 2018
The BC Coroners Service said a person was killed by a falling tree in Duncan on Vancouver Island, although it is unclear if the tree fell because of the strong winds.
Rainfall warnings were posted for Howe Sound, the Fraser Valley and Fraser Canyon, with Environment Canada saying 50 millimetres could drench those regions by Friday.
Snowfall or winter storm warnings were also up for mountain passes in the Interior with Environment Canada advising of rapidly accumulating snow on sections of a number of highways including the Sea-to-Sky, Coquihalla, Highway 3 and Highway 1 between Eagle Pass and Rogers Pass.
UPDATE - CLOSED - #BCHwy5 in both directions between #HopeBC and #Merritt due to multiple vehicle incidents and adverse weather conditions. Alternate route via #BCHwy1, #BCHwy8. Estimated time of opening is 2:00 AM, December 21. Full details: https://t.co/dpTNEeF1sz #Coquihalla
— DriveBC TOK (@DriveBC_TOK) December 21, 2018
#BCHwy3 Commercial chain-up is no longer in effect at #AllisonPass, 36 km east of #HopeBC. Full list of chain-ups: https://t.co/TWJ1ZxC9p7
— DriveBC TOK (@DriveBC_TOK) December 21, 2018
REMINDER - CLOSED - #BCHwy5 in both directions between #HopeBC and #Merritt due to multiple vehicle incidents and adverse weather conditions. Alternate route via #BCHwy1, #BCHwy8, #BCHwy3 and #BCHwy5A. Next update at 11:00 PM. Full details: https://t.co/dpTNEeF1sz #Coquihalla
— DriveBC TOK (@DriveBC_TOK) December 21, 2018