Thousands without power as wind storm batters B.C. coast
Last Updated: Monday, December 11, 2006 | 6:47 PM PT
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Strong winds gusting up to 115 km/h have left 190,000 people without power on B.C.'s South Coast on Monday.
The force of the storm whipped around branches, uprooted trees and knocked down power lines.
Two men attempt to move a tree that fell across Dollarton Highway in North Vancouver on Monday.
(Chuck Stoody/Canadian Press)
B.C. Hydro spokeswoman Elisha Moreno said the severity of the storm caught the utility by surprise.
"We didn't expect the winds to be as strong," she said.
Moreno said some customers should prepare to spend at least a night without power.
Meanwhile, falling trees prompted the closure of the Stanley Park Causeway and Stanley Park Drive on Monday, which for a short time blocked access to the Lions Gate Bridge.
Several BC Ferries sailings between the Northern Gulf Islands were cancelled and a number of sailings between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island were delayed.
Traffic lights were out at many Lower Mainland intersections, causing heavy traffic jams throughout the area.
With files from the Canadian PressShare Tools
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