As if the terrible weather in the western province of British Columbia were not bad enough, the city of Vancouver is now dealing with a major natural gas leak. A large portion of downtown has been closed as gas is bubbling up from a sidewalk.
Drought has plagued the southern part of the province weakening trees. A massive storm over the weekend brought heavy rain and winds so strong they downed many trees ripping up pavement and knocked out electricity to more than half-a-million households.
While high wind is not unusual, it usually occurs during winter when trees have no leaves. This storm happened when trees have full canopies and so, are vulnerable to the wind.
As they woke up today, some 55,000 customers were still without electricity in Surrey, Langley, Burnaby and Vancouver. Repair crews came from across the province to try to re-establish service. Other crews are out trying to clear trees and other debris.
Another rainfall warning has been issued for Vancouver and the region for this evening. Between 30 and 80 mm are expected, but no high winds.
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