Bomb cyclone photos: Storm hits Vancouver Island the hardest

A major cleanup was underway across many parts of Vancouver Island on Wednesday after a powerful bomb cyclone battered the South Coast.

Vancouver Island was hit the hardest with hurricane-force winds knocking out power, closing roads and forcing ferry cancellations.

At its peak, about 100,000 homes and businesses across Vancouver Island were without power.

Downtown Parksville was plunged into darkness.

North of Parksville, in Courtenay, the strong winds flipped a plane on its roof at the local airport, a sailboat crashed up on the rocks and numerous trees came down in yards and on vehicles.

Crews were working hard all day to clear trees fallen across the road in Cathedral Grove near Port Alberni.

Along the west side of Vancouver Island, crews were busy all day clearing downed trees and branches, repairing utility lines and learning debris off roads.

“It’s been really busy today for sure,” Ken Redford with Elevated Tree Service told Global News.

“It didn’t seem like it was going to be last night, but there was lots of carnage in the area… there’s been quite a few jobs that have come in with trees on houses and power lines.”

Armel Castellan with Environment Canada said the western and northern coasts of Vancouver Island were hit the hardest.

“The winds were really strong,” he said.

“I mean they picked up yesterday. We saw near-record-breaking (winds) at Sartin Island, which is out in the middle of nowhere.”

Castellan said winds at the northern tip of the island reached 170 km/h, which is hurricane-strength.