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VIDEO: Stormy weather pounds Langley

Heavy wind and rain down power lines and trees
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A tree came down shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday Phil Fassbender’s car, which parked on the road on 45A Avenue near 205 Street. Phil is the son of former MLA and Langley City mayor Peter Fassbender. More photos and video online at langleytimes.com. Miranda Gathercole Langley Times

It was shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday when Peter Fassbender heard a loud “thump” outside his home in Langley City.

Looking out into his front yard, he saw the neighbour’s tree had come crashing down across 45A Avenue and onto his son Phil’s car.

“It was a big thump and I could feel it so I knew a tree had come down,” said Fassbender, who is former MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood and former mayor of Langley City.

“It was the neighbour’s tree and it had come down and landed right smack on the back of my son’s car (and) modified it slightly. I think it’s probably what we call toast.”

Luckily no one was hurt in the incident, but Fassbender says the tree just missed another driver.

“There was a car that was just driving by as the tree came down, and a branch brushed the back of her car,” he said. “She was like a couple of feet past where the tree came down. If she would have been 10 seconds later, the tree would have come right down on top of their car.”

With another storm forecast to come through Wednesday, Fassbender is urging everyone to be prepared.

“My advice to everybody is check your trees, check your yard. It’s fall, we get lots of windstorms,” he said.

READ MORE: Heavy rains expected for Lower Mainland

Rain and wind swept through the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley Monday night and Tuesday morning, toppling trees, downing power lines and snarling traffic.

B.C. Hydro reported more than 19,000 customers were without service in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast, 3,000 in Langley.

Environment Canada said winds were gusting up to 60 km/h, shifting direction from the southwest to the west.

About 10 mm of rain fell.

The amount of rain was expected to triple Wednesday, with the heavy rain starting before the morning rush hour and a total of up to 30 mm. expected.

Windy conditions were also in the forecast.

Rain is in the forecast through the weekend into Monday.

In Langley the weather caused havoc on the roads, with the wet conditions and fallen creating widespread congestion.

There were long-line-ups of vehicles on side roads as drivers tried to avoid tie-ups on the Trans-Canada, including several reports of downed trees, two near the 264 Street overpass in Aldergrove that reportedly forced drivers to use the side of the road to get around the obstruction until crews could remove it.

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A tree came down shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday on Phil Fassbender’s car, which parked on the road on 45A Avenue near 205 Street. Miranda Gathercole Langley Times
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A large tree fell across the street at 45A Avenue near 205 Street during Tuesday’s windstorm. Amanda Martin submitted photo
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A tree came down shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday on Phil Fassbender’s car, which parked on the road on 45A Avenue near 205 Street. Miranda Gathercole Langley Times