Chilliwack firefighters and BC Hydro crews were fielding multiple calls Thursday afternoon after the windstorm that pummelled the Lower Mainland moved up the Fraser Valley.
Hundreds of Chilliwack homes were without power as winds brought down trees and power lines.
Yale Road West was closed at Chilliwack Golf Club because of a tree on power lines and on the road. And Keith Wilson Road was closed at Chadsey and Blackburn after downed trees blocked the road. By 3:30 p.m. Keith Wilson was reopened.Trees down on a house and across Parkwood Drive in Rosedale, east #Chilliwack. pic.twitter.com/ce7wVn0SQs
— Paul J. Henderson (@PeeJayAitch) December 20, 2018
Trees were also down on Parkwood Drive Rosedale and at least one house suffered serious damage.
(See below for more photos.)
Several traffic signals were also without power, including the lights around Chilliwack General Hospital, which also lost power and called a Code Grey for losing an essential service.
“The hospital has back-up generators to ensure patients are safe and vital equipment can continue to function for several days at a time,” said Tasleem Juma, senior consultant for Fraser Health’s public affairs department.
And although their power has since been restored, Juma said the “hospital managed very well and there were minimal impacts on patient care. Our employees, physicians and volunteers worked to assist and help manage the issues we faced so we could be quick, responsive, and tuned into the needs of our patients.”
Across the Lower Mainland more than 100,000 BC Hydro customers were without power at one point.
Downed trees have caused road closures on Keith Wilson between Blackburn and Chadsey, Yale Road West between Chadsey and Adams & Nixon Road. Please plan alternate routes and use the 4-way stop procedure in intersections without power.
— City of Chilliwack (@City_Chilliwack) December 20, 2018
