VANCOUVER — Crews are working to clean up the remnants of Saturday's wind storm in B.C.'s Lower Mainland that left at least one person dead, cut off power for hundreds of thousands and temporarily closed the Sea to Sky highway.
Highway 99 reopened early Sunday after crews were able to clear a mudslide between Lions Bay and Brunswick Beach that had cut off the route between Vancouver and Whistler, B.C.
Mounties in Squamish said in a statement on Sunday morning that one home had been affected by the mudslide with residents still unaccounted for.
RCMP spokesman James Grandy said officers, emergency crews, and heavy-duty search and rescue crews are on site.
Meanwhile emergency services in Surrey, B.C. confirmed a 65-year-old woman died during the storm after she was hit by a falling tree.
Surrey Fire Service assistant chief Greg McRobbie said on Sunday that his crews responded to a call for a "traumatic injury" in a residence in South Surrey after 10 a.m. on Saturday.
On arrival they found the woman unresponsive, next to a very large branch that witnesses said fell from roughly 30 feet above, said McRobbie.
"It was an extremely difficult call, not only for the people there but also for the firefighters who attended," said McRobbie, "our thoughts are with the family and friends. It's an extremely difficult time and such a tragic incident."
Crews from Surrey Fire Services also responded to a separate call Saturday morning in the city about another person trapped by a fallen tree.
McRobbie said firefighters were able to rescue the person out from under the tree.
Environment Canada says the windstorm created wind gusts as high as 96 kilometres per hour at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal in Delta, B.C., and 115 kilometres per hour on Saturna Island, located midway between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
The windstorm knocked out power for more than 320,000 customers, said BC Hydro, with all but about 5,000 having power restored by Sunday morning.
The utility said crews will continue to work throughout the day to repair power lines, poles and other electrical equipment to restore service as quickly and safely as possible.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2024.
The Canadian Press