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UPDATED: Thousands lose power in Langley during windstorm

In most cases, fallen trees were to blame
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Murrayville resident Aaron Pokasuwan said he may have to build his son a new treehouse after the big tree that supported it came during the Friday (Jan. 3) windstorm that cut power to thousands in Langley and the Lower Mainland. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)

Aaron Pokasuwan said the first indication something was wrong was when he let his dog out in the backyard of his Murrayville home.

His pet took an unusually long time to come back inside.

Some time later, Pokasuwan discovered a large old tree had come down and with it, part of the treehouse it supported.

“I may be building a new one,” Pokasuwan told the Langley Advance Times.

The fallen tree managed to miss everything else in the yard including a swing set, a trampoline and a fence.

More than 5,000 B.C. Hydro customers in Langley were without power for as long as six hours Friday night (Jan. 3).

In almost all of the incidents, Hydro listed fallen trees across power lines as the cause.

There were nine outages reported.

The largest affected close to 3,000 Hydro customers west of 276th Street., north of 16th Avenue, east of 240th Street., and south of 56th Avenue.

A windstorm rolled through the Lower Mainland and Sunshine coast Friday causing power interruptions to more than 44,000.

READ MORE: Thousands in southern B.C. without power in aftermath of winter storm

READ MORE: VIDEO: Tips to stay safe around downed, damaged power lines

Langley Memorial Hospital had to switch to emergency power using a backup generator “for about an hour” Fraser Health Authority spokesperson Tasleem Juma confirmed.

There was “no impact to patients,” Juma said.

BC Hydro said it had more than 60 crews working in the region to repair damage and restore power following a major snowstorm in rural B.C. area on New Year’s Eve.

Of the 160,000 customers initially impacted by the storm, approximately 1,100 remain without power, near Salmon Arm, Vernon and Nakusp.

Additional snow accumulation on Friday evening caused more damage to BC Hydro’s system and additional outages for customers in the region, an operational update issued by the utility said.

Hydro said it “anticipates to have the majority of customers restored by end of day. However, due to poor road conditions and the extensive repair work that remains in difficult-to-access areas, customers in the hardest hit communities are being advised to prepare to potentially be without power through the weekend.”

More info can be found at bchydro.com/outages.



dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com

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Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I’m the guy you’ll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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