After weeks on end of nothing but sunshine and heat, a windstorm blew through parts of the Okanagan on Monday night, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
Trees were uprooted, branches were left scattered, and boats washed up on shore in Kelowna, leaving city crews to clean up the mess.
“Our city staff were out first thing in the morning, assessing damage and doing cleanup,” said Lance Kayfish, City of Kelowna risk manager.
“Our first priorities, of course, are always getting roadways and walkways cleared, and then dealing with anything that might be hazardous or impede anyone’s use of our parks.”
According to Global meteorologist Peter Quinlan, the storm brought in high wind gusts and rain — something much of the region hasn’t seen all summer.
“Winds gusted as this frontal boundary pushed through up to 80 km/h from the west in Kelowna and also Penticton,” Quinlan said.
“In terms of moisture, 1.5 mm of moisture was reported in Vernon and around 3.5 mm in Kelowna.”
One Lake Country resident recalls the moment the storm hit.
“At about 10:30 p.m. or so, we were expecting cooler weather to come in, but we didn’t expect it to come in with such a bang,” said Lake Country resident Denise Fallis.
“At around 11 p.m., the windows of the house started shaking. It was black as pitch out, and rain was falling like crazy.”
As the strong winds battered her home, Fallis said she and her partner became worried about their boat, which is moored on a buoy near the shore of Okanagan Lake.
“The waves and the wind had pushed it well up the beach. The hull looks intact, so we’re lucky that way,” Fallis said.
“It floated off beautifully, and there was no water inside the vessel, but of course, the leg was down so we’ve got to get that checked.”
Over 1,300 BC Hydro customers along Westside Road had their power knocked out after a tree came crashing down on a powerline. Crews were on Tuesday trying to restore the lights, and they estimate customers will have their power back around 5 p.m.
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