When Disaster Strikes

[RspctFrmCalgary]

I don't know how many of you get this show, it is on the History Channel (Canadian) here. I watch it quite frequently.

Tonight's episode is "Fire: How home fires start and how to prevent them".

CH. 45 at 6pm PST.

[MalahatTwo7]

That shows down here too. I forget what day it is but usually around 7pm EST I think. There have been some really good episodes in the past.

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Yeah, there have been some interesting episodes. Last week was the Garley Building fire in Hong Kong that I mentioned on the other thread.





And yes, I really am up at 5am on my day off The wind woke me up ... she be a blowin' like a bitch this morning. Well all night really, it started sometime after one. What's another catchy nautical phrase .... there's a whale of a gale out there? LOL

Good ol' Victoria. Our local version of When Disaster Strikes!

Environment Canada's Official Weather Warnings
Warnings
Greater Victoria
5:05 AM PST Monday 11 December 2006
Wind warning for Greater Victoria continued

Southwest winds up to 90 km/h easing this morning over the north coast and Queen Charlottes. Winds rising to southeast 60 to 90 km/h this morning over the south coast.

This is a warning that damaging winds are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.



An intense low that developed rapidly overnight and moved north of the Queen Charlottes this morning continues to give strong winds to many parts of coastal British Columbia. Southwest winds up to 90 km/h over the north coast and northern section of the Queen Charlottes are expected to ease this morning.

Further south the strong southeast winds will intensify further this morning ahead of another low pressure system expected to push across Vancouver Island this afternoon. Southeast winds up to 90 km/h are expected to develop in the mid to late morning period and continue into the afternoon. In the wake of the low later this afternoon southerly up to 70 km/h are expected to push into Howe Sound but should ease into the early evening hours.

A strong onshore flow and moist condition over the Inner South coast will produce heavy rains to the above mentioned regions. Heavier rain is expected to develop this morning and give over 50 mm by early Tuesday morning.

Oh yippee, more damaging winds. Just what we need. Things are still all f'd up from the November storms, we don't need this. Well, at least it isn't snow this time.

[MalahatTwo7]

Well, at least it isn't snow this time.

SSHHHHHH..... Waaaiittt for it..... wwwaaaiiitt........ just a little more time....

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Come on! We've had the biggest storm in the past decade, isn't that enough for one winter? Oh wait, it isn't winter yet, is it?

Queen of Prince Rupert Sailing Delayed
Posted December 10, 2006

Due to hurricance force winds forecast for Hecate Strait, the 11:00 p.m. sailing of the Queen of Prince Rupert to Skidegate will be delayed.

The vessel will load this evening and hold at Prince Rupert terminal pending an improvement in the weather conditions.

A further update will be provided Monday morning.

[MalahatTwo7]

Winter in Victoria seems to have arrived a wee bit early this year. Just so long as it holds off down this way a little longer; summer is just around the corner.

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Which disaster should I start with?

Wild winds hammer B.C.
Thousands without power; a second storm to hit today

Louise Dickson, With files from Rob Shaw, Times Colonist
Published: Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Storm-weary Vancouver Island residents are facing another week of wild weather and power outages.

At least 190,000 B.C. Hydro customers on the Island and the Lower Mainland were without power yesterday after an intense low pressure system that formed off the Oregon coast on Sunday unleashed high winds in the early afternoon. The storm uprooted trees, knocked down power lines and disrupted travel with winds gusting at 100 kilometres an hour in some places.

Winds reached up to 70 kilometres per hour at the airport, while gusts at Gonzales Point peaked at 67 km/h at noon and again at 1 p.m., said Environment Canada weather specialist Greg Pearce. On Discovery Island, just off Oak Bay, winds gusted to 102 km/h.

The wind played havoc with B.C. Ferries, cancelling some of the Gulf Island sailings, and delaying others between the Island and the mainland.

While the winds were expected to drop overnight, Pearce warned that a second big storm is expected late this afternoon and evening. "And another big low is forecast for Thursday. It's a stormy week, things don't settle down until Friday."

On the bright side, the temperature was a mild 11 degrees and rain was light -- a relief to those without power.

Steve Watson, B.C. Hydro manager of community relations said the outages were widespread -- not just in one or two areas. B.C. Hydro called out all its crews, contractors and tree-trimming contractors to try to restore power as quickly as possible around the province. About 4,000 homes in Greater Victoria were affected, and another 14,000 in the Cowichan Valley. Many of the Gulf Islands were in the dark.

"We don't have a full picture," Watson said. "It could be another two days" before power is restored to some of the more rural areas, he said.

Meanwhile, two people were rescued after a small boat flipped in the Inner Harbour around 4 p.m. They were picked up by the tugboat Seaspan Rocket and transported to shore with the help of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Victoria police. The two people were cold, but unharmed.

*****

I watched most of the rescue from my balcony. First there was just the one tugboat, then a 2nd one came and then the Zodiac (I think it was a Zodiac).

The wind held off until about an hour or so ago. It's freakin' back with a vengence.

Tried to go to bed but every 2 minutes my eyes would pop open because the wind is gusting, howling and whistling and stuff was slamming around in the courtyard and against the building maybe? Not sure, could have been stuff on people's balconies banging against the building. It seems to be worse than yesterday. But that could just be because it's dark and therefore scarier, because you can't see what's going on LOL.

So I got up and stood watching out the balcony but of course, the banging stopped. Brought in my cooler even though it didn't seem to be moving at all. Everything else has been battened down for the past month and a half of endless storms. *sigh* Don't think there's going to be much sleep happening tonight.

hmmmm better post this in case the power goes out. The radio station keeps going out.

Oh yeah, I also recorded Disasters of the Century tonight. Hartford Circus fire.

Hope everyone responding to calls tonight on the Island and the Lower Mainland stays safe!

[MalahatTwo7]

Hmm I guess I wont tell you that this is the weather forecast for today and the next couple....

Today: cloudy. Showers likely through early afternoon, then a chance of showers late this afternoon. Highs in the upper 50s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

Chance of rain 60 percent.

Tonight: partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 40s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: mostly clear. Lows in the lower 40s. Southwest winds around 5 mph.
Friday: mostly sunny. Highs around 60. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: partly cloudy. Lows around 40.
Saturday: mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 50s.
Saturday Night: partly cloudy. Lows around 40.
Sunday: sunny. Highs in the upper 50s.
Sunday Night : mostly clear. Lows around 40.
Monday: sunny. Highs in the mid 50s.
Monday Night: partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s.
Tuesday: mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 50s.

Light rain and fog in some areas of the District and outlying areas this morning - I heard "8% fog" on the radio this morning - whatever that means. Even the DJ's were scratching their heads over that one.

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Victoria Harbour: Issued 5.00 AM PST Wednesday 13 December 2006
Wind warning in effect.
Today Periods of rain ending this morning then cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. Wind southwest 50 to 70 km/h. High 9.
Tonight Cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. Wind southwest 40 to 60 km/h becoming light near midnight. Low plus 4.
Thursday Rain. Amount 20 to 30 mm. Wind becoming southeast 40 to 60 km/h in the morning then becoming southwest 40 to 60 in the afternoon. High 10. Friday Showers. Windy. Low plus 4. High 6.
Saturday Cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. Low plus 2. High plus 5. Sunday Periods of rain. Low zero. High plus 5.

*******

Greater Victoria
4:40 AM PST Wednesday 13 December 2006
Wind warning for
Greater Victoria continued

Southwest winds 60 to 90 km/h developing over the West Vancouver Island and the central coast this morning easing this evening.

Southwest winds 50 to 70 km/h expected for Victoria the south gulf islands Vancouver and the Fraser Valley today.

This is a warning that damaging winds are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.



An intense low just west of the Queen Charlottes will maintain strong southwesterly winds for the central coast and the south coast today. Over the central coast southerly winds of 50 to 80 km/h will veering to southwesterlies 60 to 90 km/h this morning. Over the West Vancouver Island southwesterly winds of 50 to 80 km/h will persist through today. Southwesterlies of 50 to 70 km/h over Victoria and the south gulf island will spread to the Lower Mainland this morning. These strong winds are expected to ease to below warning levels by this afternoon as the low moves inland and weakens.

The southwest flow will maintain heavy rain over West Vancouver Island Howe Sound and the eastern Fraser Valley with further rainfal amounts of 30 to 40 mm expected by this afternoon.


******

[RspctFrmCalgary]

And now the disaster part, in keeping with the thread topic ...

Mother Nature is taking our sails out of the wind
Strong blows ahead as cleanup continues from Monday mess

View Larger Image

Cam Johnson and Joe Rae of Libra Tree Service plod through the debris on Glenora Road in Duncan. More than 40 trees came down on a kilometre-long stretch of the road during Monday's fierce storm.
Photograph by : Debra Brash, Times Colonist

Jeff Bell, Times Colonist
Published: Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Strong overnight winds are expected to slow through this morning, but forecasters say an even more forceful windstorm is expected to hit Vancouver Island tomorrow afternoon.

Beleaguered B.C. Hydro crews continue to deal with a trail of wind-related problems, including downed power lines on Sooke Road that blocked early-morning commuters for about an hour yesterday. Wind-damaged trees toppled dozens of power poles on the road to Bamfield, which will likely leave about 500 customers in that community without power until the weekend.

Gary Lewis was on his morning commute from Sooke to Victoria about 5:30 a.m. when the downed power lines appeared in front of him near Saseenos Elementary School.

"I think I was the very first one to come across them. It was right on a corner, there were no streetlights and it was raining hard."

He had to drive over the power lines before managing to turn into the other lane. "It raised my heart rate a few beats," he said.

Once he was safely past, he called his wife on his cellphone and she called 911 to alert emergency crews.

Environment Canada weather specialist John McIntyre said rain and overnight winds of up to 70 or 80 kilometres should ease by this afternoon.

"The strongest winds will be in the morning, and then in the afternoon it will be back off to maybe 60 kilometres an hour."

But the wind is predicted to be back in force by tomorrow at speeds up to 90 kilometres, McIntyre said.

"It could be the nastier storm."

Anne McCarthy of Environment Canada's Victoria weather office said recent winds, caused by pressure changes in the atmosphere, have been following a recurring theme.

"This is very much a wave pattern, and some of the waves are stronger than others."

B.C. Hydro spokesman Ted Olynyk said about 90,000 Vancouver Island customers were without power in the past few days, but crews were bringing down those numbers considerably. The Port Alberni area was hard-hit. About 4,000 homes were without power through last evening -- 3,000 of them around Sproat Lake.

The number of south Island customers without power had been reduced to fewer than 2,000 by last evening, while about 300 homes on the Gulf Island were still affected.

Olynyk said the recent run of weather, including rain, snow, wind and cold temperatures, has had a cumulative effect on trees, raising the possibility of them falling onto power lines.

Extra crews are being brought in from the Lower Mainland and other areas as they become available, he said.

Telus crews were also out in force yesterday, bringing service back to customers around the Island.

About 3,500 customers, most of them around Duncan, Nanaimo and Miracle Beach, remained without phone service by late afternoon.

"Similar to last time, the largest impact on Telus's network is actually because of the power outages," said spokesman Shawn Hall. "When the power goes out, our systems go onto battery and generator backup."

The backup systems last only eight to 15 hours and have to be regularly monitored, he said.

"So we have a lot of technicians out on the Island right now driving around in 4x4s, keeping those systems charged up."

Telus reinforcements from the Lower Mainland and other parts of the province are helping the Island crews

[MalahatTwo7]

HOLY SHEEP DIP BATMAN! Mmm is it polite to say "Glad I ain't home for Christmas this year"?

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Hurricane force winds on the way!

'Bang, bang, bang' After two intense storms, a third will hit Vancouver Island today

Winds cut off power to 70,000
View Larger Image

Huge waves blast against the Dallas Road seawall near Ogden Point yesterday. Following yesterday's intense windy weather, forecasters predict another frontal system will hit the Island tonight with gusts expected to reach 100 km/h.

Photograph by : John McKay, Times Colonist

Sandra McCulloch, Times Colonist
Published: Thursday, December 14, 2006

There's another storm brewing for embattled residents of Victoria and Vancouver Island, who have faced a series of back-to-back weather systems, their intensity unheralded in recent memory.

After yesterday's blast of windy weather, the forecast calls for yet another frontal system to hit the area tonight with gusts expected to reach 100 km/h. Not good news for folks still sitting in the dark.

At its peak, B.C. Hydro yesterday lost 70,000 Island customers.

"This particular batch of storms this week has been closely spaced," Anne McCarthy, weather services specialist with Environment Canada, said yesterday. "It's notable for three storms coming bang, bang, bang, over a five-day period and notable for the intensity of the storms."

Yesterday saw winds reaching 67 km/hr, and gusts to 94 km/hr, which upended an unoccupied Cessna 150 at Victoria International Airport and blew it 30 metres away from its parking spot. Such an event "is tremendously unusual -- the gusts have been amazing," said Terry Stewart of the Victoria Airport Authority.

A couple of commercial flights were also cancelled, he said.

At 10 a.m., B.C. Hydro saw 25,000 customers in the Cowichan Valley and the Saanich Peninsula fall off the power grid. Forty-six crews worked through the day and by 4 p.m., Hydro crews were trying to reconnect 50,000 homes on the Island, 9,500 of those in Greater Victoria and 10,000 in Cowichan.

There will be a break in the weather today but it will be brief: The next system will come onshore tonight "with another intense, low-pressure system," said McCarthy.

Weary B.C. Hydro crews estimate it could take up to a week to get everyone back on line. Hardest hit by the latest blast was Bamfield, which has 172 spans of electrical line down between there and Port Alberni.

"We've never seen that before," said B.C. Hydro spokesman Stephen Watson of the devastation.

Repairs to the Bamfield line could involve 25 to 30 crews working over four days, he said. In Victoria, some schools such as Royal Oak and Saseenos were forced to close because of power outages.

Telus technicians have restored telephone service to all but 2,000 customers on Vancouver Island. Crews are hampered by trees across roads and wind-driven debris, said Telus spokesman Shawn Hall. Problem areas are Nanaimo, Thetis Island, Duncan, Port Alberni and Powell River. Fallen trees temporarily closed West Saanich Road, Mill Bay Road and the Trans-Canada Highway near Valleyview Centre in Cobble Hill.

Island rivers, meanwhile, are swollen and flood warnings have been posted on the Cowichan and Chemainus rivers.

"Right now we've got a high stream-flow advisory out for the five rivers on the Island's east coast -- the Cowichan, Chemainus, Nanaimo, Englishman and the Tsolum," said Allan Chapman of the provincial river forecast centre yesterday.

The storms damaged dozens of coastal shellfish-farming operations and put some in jeopardy of bankruptcy, said the B.C. Shellfish Growers Association.

The association is calling on government to help with short-term disaster relief.

The storm damage this fall has been the worst in years, said Watson.

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2006

[RspctFrmCalgary]

Yesterday was wild! Today is supposed to be even worse!

The wind did die down late yesterday and is still relatively calm at the moment.

No ****, batten down the hatches!

[MalahatTwo7]

Yesterday was wild! Today is supposed to be even worse!

The wind did die down late yesterday and is still relatively calm at the moment.

No ****, batten down the hatches!

WELL now.. Thats a silly way to park your airplane.

[firedog21]

Well the rain has now turned to snow here in Campbell River. The winds are starting to pick up but nothing to bad yet. Should be a great day at work tommorow. Atleast it isn't my tour to drive, unlike during the last big snow storm. Weather turns bad and the rules of the road get thrown out the window. LOL

Stay Safe
Firedog21
I.A.F.F. Proud