1 dead, another injured by falling trees in Surrey during B.C. windstorm: officials
Storm downed power lines and knocked over trees across B.C.'s South Coast
A woman has died after being struck by a falling tree branch in Surrey during Saturday's windstorm on B.C.'s South Coast, according to police.
Surrey Fire Service said crews responded to a call about a traumatic injury in the 17500-block of 29th Avenue in South Surrey at around 10 a.m. PT, where a person was reportedly struck by a falling tree branch.
Assistant Fire Chief Jerry Siggs said he couldn't comment on the victim's condition. However, Surrey Police Service later confirmed the person had died.
In a separate call that morning, firefighters helped rescue another person trapped beneath a fallen tree in the 14600-block of 72 Ave in the city's Newton area.
"Six firefighters worked with B.C. Ambulance and extricated the person from under the tree and provided patient care," Siggs said.
Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton with the Surrey Police Service said the city had to send out an emergency alert warning residents of high winds.
"We were called by [emergency health services] sort of mid-morning for a woman who had very tragically been struck by a falling part of a tree," Houghton told CBC News. "Our role was limited to helping provide some victim services, support to the family."
Power restored to B.C. Hydro customers
Environment Canada warned Saturday morning that the Metro Vancouver area could be hit with 70 km/h winds and gusts of up to 100 km/h as a low-pressure system moved in.
More than 300,000 customers on the West Coast had lost power over the course of the day, according to B.C. Hydro, after high winds led to downed lines, fallen trees and power outages.
In an update late Saturday night, the utility said nearly 90 per cent of its customers had power restored, and crews would work overnight to restore power.
The storm not only brought down power lines, but also blew a black canopy tent off a building on Alberni Street in downtown Vancouver on Saturday.
Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Tania Visintin said on Saturday night that the object had hit two vehicles after falling.
But Visintin said as far as she knows, there were no injuries.
"VPD was on scene for traffic control while the object was removed from the road," said Visintin in a statement.
Strong winds across the South Coast led to wind warnings, ferry cancellations, regional damage, and even a landslide.
With files from The Canadian Press, Shaurya Kshatri and Yvette Brend