Metchosin is very likely without electricity as the area where she lives was hit pretty hard.
Wind hits areas west of Victoria the hardest
Rob Shaw, CanWest News Service Published: Saturday, December 16, 2006
GREATER VICTORIA I The most powerful windstorm of the year clobbered Greater Victoria's rural western communities Friday, but largely spared its core cities.
Western municipalities from Langford to Sooke were particularly hard hit, as fallen trees downed power lines, blocked roads, crushed cars and damaged houses.
Winds gusted to more than 90 km/h and left 25,000 homes without power.
However, Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay escaped with only relatively minor damage.
Metchosin was virtually impassable Friday morning, with "significant damage" on rural roads, said Mayor John Ranns.
"I've lived here all my life and I've never seen anything so destructive," he said. "It was astonishing how bad it was."
"In Colwood it was very severe," city chief administrator Chris Pease said late Friday afternoon. "I think the main eye of the wind must have come this way."
There were about 50 sections of power line down, Pease said. Around 16 roads were closed and nine houses were damaged by fallen trees, he said.
While other Island communities were pummeled by the storm, preparation and a little concrete shelter paid off for Victoria city crews Friday, said Hector Furtado, manager of streets division.