'Magical' photos catch B.C. valley wrapped in ice after winter storm
'Despite being a royal pain, there’s something magical about storms,' says Chilliwack resident
When sheets of freezing rain fell over the Fraser Valley last week, it knocked out power for thousands and left much of the region covered in a slick layer of ice.
Hydro poles broke, power lines fell and tree trunks cracked open in Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Mission — the hardest-hit areas.
The way the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreezingRain?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreezingRain</a> weighted trees to breaking point is intense. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCStorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCStorm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FraserValley?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FraserValley</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MissionBC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MissionBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/winter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#winter</a> <a href="https://t.co/avWTJLE6S5">pic.twitter.com/avWTJLE6S5</a>
—@geordiemuppetAt one point, more than 130,000 people lost electricity at home because of the storm. As of Monday, there were 2,600 people still in the dark across the valley as hydro crews worked around the clock to make repairs.
But amid the damage and blackouts, locals ventured out to snap stunning photos of neighbourhoods cloaked in ice.
"Despite being a royal pain, there's something magical about storms," wrote Chilliwack resident Phoenix MacLaren.
Here's a few top photo picks.
.<a href="https://twitter.com/bchydro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bchydro</a> says over 9000 in the dark due to the ice storm in the Fraser Valley. Parking lot near the Whatcom Rd exit is almost like an ice rink right now. <a href="https://twitter.com/City_Abbotsford?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@City_Abbotsford</a> <a href="https://t.co/qU3wxJJkSL">pic.twitter.com/qU3wxJJkSL</a>
—@gpsmendoza