Brookswood-Fernridge resident Kim Crimeni had turned in for the night when a large tree came crashing down on her house, damaging the roof, during the windstorm that roared through the Lower Mainland on Friday night, Nov. 10.
鈥淚t was like, around 11:30 [p.m.], I guess,鈥� she recalled.
鈥淎nd I was laying in bed going, oh my God, it鈥檚 getting pretty scary out there. And then, ka-whump, it knocked all the pictures off the walls. I mean, I had spices on a three-tier rack thing in the kitchen, it knocked them all over.鈥�
After she exited the house and took shelter in her motor home, a second tree fell on the house.
鈥淪carier than I鈥檝e ever ever felt,鈥� is how she described her state of mind.
A friend, who has a roofing company, quickly responded.
鈥淗e came in with a crew of four, they got the whole entire log off the roof, temporarily patched the holes and he assures me that this week, he鈥檒l have it livable again,鈥� Crimeni advised.
A decision to install EPDM, a durable synthetic rubber roofing membrane, likely limited the damage, Crimeni believes.
In Walnut Grove, Ellen Smith had a rude awakening when a tree fell on her house.
鈥淲e were woken up at 1:10 a.m. to a thud and the house shaking,鈥� Ellen said.
鈥淔ortunately the roof survived. Not so lucky with the deck rail and retractable awning.鈥�
An insurance claim has been filed, 鈥渁nd the wood is chopped up already,鈥� Smith said.
It was a dark start to Remembrance Day for thousands of 91原创 residents, who lost power during a windstorm with heavy rain that toppled drought-damaged trees and took out power lines Friday night, Nov. 10. and Saturday, Nov. 11.
More than 30,000 B.C.Hydro customers lost power in 91原创, and there were multiple reports of property damage caused by falling trees.
91原创, Surrey, Maple Ridge and Vancouver were hardest hit in the Lower Mainland, according to B.C. Hydro.
In all, an estimated 235,000 customers were affected by more more than 200 power outages in the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island.
鈥淲ith the long, dry stretches over the summer, vegetation has been weakened by drought, making it more susceptible to wind,鈥� a B.C. Hydro statement said. 鈥淎s a result, many dead and damaged trees and branches have come down causing them to come into contact with B.C. Hydro鈥檚 electrical equipment.鈥�
Crews were working around the clock to replace power lines, poles and other equipment, and by Sunday, B.C. Hydro estimated 99 percent of clients had power again, with the exception of small pockets of customers in areas with significant damage.
BC Ferries cancelled several sailings from 7 p.m. due to forecasted high winds, including the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay route.
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READ ALSO: Power outages and falling trees; wind storm rocks 91原创
