Insane wind storm in White Rock

[bertvorgon]

Crazy storm today and still blowing, in my 40 years here I have never seen waves and wind like this.

We went down to the beach to take some pics and first thing I saw was a ton of RCMP vehicles blocking the pier access.

Turns out as I got closer a sail boat ( or Two ) got loose and battering rammed the pier, taking out a large section and trapping a person out at the end. You can see in the pictures how high the waves are as a boat is almost above the pier level, just nuts.

The Coast Guard helicopter flew in but I could not see the rescue, if they did, as we had come back home to dry out, we got soaked from the salt spray. I would suggest that the battering of the pier is not done yet as another section looked to fail also.

I think that damage around the lower mainland is going to be extensive after this is over.

[bertvorgon]

I was right, it took out another section

[WxMan]

Great photos! This storm was a real doozy. The anemometer on my roof not far from Esquimalt Harbour recorded a peak wind of 46 knots from the southwest this afternoon. The official observation a the entrance to the harbour (WPF) peaked at ~51 knots. That is by far the highest I have ever seen there. I'm impressed that we never lost power here.

[MikeY]

I had 3 large fir drop. First time in 27 years I've had that happen. All across the power lines and road. Got firewood for next year covered. About to head out and survey in daylight and sharpen the saw. We won't have power for a few days.

[bertvorgon]

Morning All,

My yard is a total mess today, days worth of picking up and raking tree debris and branches.

As the pier ripped apart it it also took out the power cables that went to the cell tower at the end of the pier, so cell hone reception is sketchy on the south side of the hill. My cell keeps trying to hook into the U.S. AT&T network.

The storm really damaged the east beach walkway too, I think I will wander down there later today to check it out.

[RONSLYCHUK]

We have had no power since 11 am yesterday. A large for down the street took out the power lines. Hydro still hasn’t done anything.

[Byron510]

Trees down all over the place here in Maple Ridge. Somehow I didn't loose power completely here in town. We had a few flickers, lost lights for bout 30 seconds at one point. But my father's place just out of town lost power yesterday afternoon, came back on early this morning. He said the trees around his place were pretty scary. He's got some 150 ' high fir trees on his property that are beautiful, but he said they were bending 'a long way over'. He had a 'branch' come down off of one of them - 8' in diameter and 25' long (branch!!!).
Usually we get these winds in October/November - seems a bit late this year. but then again it hasn't been as cold as the last few years. No hope for a while Christmas this year.

See all you locals at the Club Christmas Party tomorrow night in Abbotsford.

Byron

[gooned]

Power and internet just back this morning here, a few trees in roofs up the road...we got lucky and nothing more than some raking to do.

[GREG510]

Yes crazy wind.. Trees down all over the area. Our power was just restored at 5 am today.. Ugh
Keith, did you loose power.

[MikeY]

Power restored to our grid. But they didn't hook up our transformer. So I assume it's fried. Lord knows when they get back to individual customers. I expect another week. Hope the transformer is not on a boat from China. We have wood heat and my son's house.has power and he has the well. So we have water and a place to charge the phone and do laundry. So we will be ok.

[bertvorgon]

Hey Greg,

No, we had lots of "flickers", I even turned my computer off so as to not have any issues with a power surge, we have such "dirty' power here in White Rock at the best of times.

We took a walk yesterday down to the east beach, what a mess, picnic tables wiped out, tons of big logs thrown up onto the walkway, and,
the two sails boats that pounded the pier are up on the beach, will be interesting as to how they get removed and who is responsible.

Got an email from my brother in Port McNeill, sad news that the "Tree of Soles" got blown down on the Holberg road. For you non locals the history is that when Cape Scott became a park in 1973, people started nailing boots and other foot ware up onto this tree as testament to their hike out to the Cape. We first hiked out there just before it became a park, some 25 miles of mud and bog,one way, knee deep in places. Even the best boots would not keep you dry. We just wore gumboots and carried runners for camp. This picture was from one of our trips, that's my brothers truck, he was a Datsun guy too until the FJ40 came out. Notice the aircraft landing light, we used those on our vehicles for a few years till the good H4 lights came out. The trail is much shorter now, Matt and I went in there in 2013 and it was dry for a change.

[funwithmonkeys]

We had some crazy winds here also. I drove through Davis Bay at the height of it and the waves were crashing over the highway. The logs were being thrown onto the highway also. People were being idiots and stopping on the highway in the driving lane and taking pictures. It is amazing no cars were hit by logs with the line of traffic being stopped right in the danger zone because people wanted to take a picture.

[datzenmike]

It was very windy and rainy biking to work at 6.45 out here.... but not exceptional. The wind was like a push in the back.

Didn't know you had a 521 Keith. I had a red 6 year old '71 in Ontario. I survived 8 Ontario winters, not because of the heater, but in spite of it.

[bertvorgon]

That was my brothers truck, then he got a 620, then started into a long ownership of Toyota FJ40's.

As they lived in Telegraph Cove, a truck was way more practical than a car.

[James]

We got some really good surf here in so cal from that storm. Hope it gets put back together!