Post by ferryfast admin on Nov 25, 2011 11:29:27 GMT -5
Strong winds lead to ferry cancellations, power outages
By Jeff Bell and Derek Spalding, timescolonist.com
www.timescolonist.com/Strong+winds+lead+ferry+cancellations+power+outages/5762035/story.html#ixzz1ejeKZfTQ
November 25, 2011 5:04 AM
High winds knocked out power to thousands of homes on Vancouver Island Thursday and prompted B.C. Ferries to cancel a string of sailings between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen.
Sailings resumed at 6 p.m. No ferries ran between the two terminals between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. due to storm-force winds measuring nearly 85 kilometres per hour.
B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said the 3: 15 p.m. sailings between Tsawwassen and Duke Point and the 3 p.m. sailings between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay were also cancelled.
The Victoria Clipper left for Seattle at noon but had to turn around due to rough conditions. The 5 p.m. sailing was cancelled.
Randy Wright, senior vice-president at Harbour Air Seaplanes, said all flights were shut down by 11 a.m. About 45 flights were cancelled. "We did have some charters set up because we knew this wind was coming - with Pacific Coastal, one of our partners - and moved a bunch of people that way. You can't fool with Mother Nature."
The winds led Oak Bay public works to shut down a few blocks of Beach Drive near Shoal Bay, between Monterey Avenue and Transit Road, in the afternoon. Dallas Road was closed from Clover Point to Hollywood Crescent because of debris.
On Beach Drive, debris caused water to back up at catch basins.
Downed trees cut power to about 4,400 B.C. Hydro customers. About 2,700 of those were in north-Island communities, largely in the Sayward and Campbell River areas. On the Lower Mainland, about 3,700 homes and businesses were without power.
Environment Canada meteorologist David Jones said gusts were still reaching at more than 90 km/h around Discovery Island just after 3 p.m. Conditions were expected to improve during the evening, Jones said. "It will still be solid southwest winds. We've got them dropping down to 20 before Friday morning."
Tofino felt winds of about 50 kilometres per hour, but such gusts are quite common for the area this time of year, said bylaw enforcement officer Eric Graham, who works on the community's emergency co-ordination.
The municipality issues warnings on beaches during the tourist season, but in winter most of the local residents are used to the winds.
jwbell@timescolonist.com
dspalding@timescolonist.com
Read more: www.timescolonist.com/Strong+winds+lead+ferry+cancellations+power+outages/5762035/story.html#ixzz1eje64vu5
By Jeff Bell and Derek Spalding, timescolonist.com
www.timescolonist.com/Strong+winds+lead+ferry+cancellations+power+outages/5762035/story.html#ixzz1ejeKZfTQ
November 25, 2011 5:04 AM
High winds knocked out power to thousands of homes on Vancouver Island Thursday and prompted B.C. Ferries to cancel a string of sailings between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen.
Sailings resumed at 6 p.m. No ferries ran between the two terminals between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. due to storm-force winds measuring nearly 85 kilometres per hour.
B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said the 3: 15 p.m. sailings between Tsawwassen and Duke Point and the 3 p.m. sailings between Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay were also cancelled.
The Victoria Clipper left for Seattle at noon but had to turn around due to rough conditions. The 5 p.m. sailing was cancelled.
Randy Wright, senior vice-president at Harbour Air Seaplanes, said all flights were shut down by 11 a.m. About 45 flights were cancelled. "We did have some charters set up because we knew this wind was coming - with Pacific Coastal, one of our partners - and moved a bunch of people that way. You can't fool with Mother Nature."
The winds led Oak Bay public works to shut down a few blocks of Beach Drive near Shoal Bay, between Monterey Avenue and Transit Road, in the afternoon. Dallas Road was closed from Clover Point to Hollywood Crescent because of debris.
On Beach Drive, debris caused water to back up at catch basins.
Downed trees cut power to about 4,400 B.C. Hydro customers. About 2,700 of those were in north-Island communities, largely in the Sayward and Campbell River areas. On the Lower Mainland, about 3,700 homes and businesses were without power.
Environment Canada meteorologist David Jones said gusts were still reaching at more than 90 km/h around Discovery Island just after 3 p.m. Conditions were expected to improve during the evening, Jones said. "It will still be solid southwest winds. We've got them dropping down to 20 before Friday morning."
Tofino felt winds of about 50 kilometres per hour, but such gusts are quite common for the area this time of year, said bylaw enforcement officer Eric Graham, who works on the community's emergency co-ordination.
The municipality issues warnings on beaches during the tourist season, but in winter most of the local residents are used to the winds.
jwbell@timescolonist.com
dspalding@timescolonist.com
Read more: www.timescolonist.com/Strong+winds+lead+ferry+cancellations+power+outages/5762035/story.html#ixzz1eje64vu5