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Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • W E D N E S D AY, N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5
Winds bring havoc
Thousands left without power as storm rips through Chilliwack Jennifer Feinberg The Progress
Tree branches cover cars at Fraser Valley Mitsubishi on Yale Road Tuesday. The trees were brought down by high winds, and owner Don Murphy says he’s thankful no one was injured. ERIC WELSH/ THE PROGRESS
Narrow escape as trees topple in wind Eric Welsh The Progress Fraser Valley Mitsubishi owner Don Murphy says two women were on his lot minutes before a tree came down in Tuesday’s wind storm, falling on a row of brand new automobiles. He is thankful no one was injured and angry that an easily avoidable situation continues to happen. Another tree toppled in early November, crushing one vehicle and causing $80,000 in damage. Murphy expects more of these tall, thin trees that bend like straws in the wind will fall in the future. But because his business is on land adjacent to a fish stream that is also home to some beavers, the City of Chilliwack and the provin-
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cial ministries of forestry and fishing forbid him to touch the trees. Each time he has called a treetopping service, they tell him they can’t touch the job. “They’ve told me the City will never give them any more work again, ever, ever, if they find out about it,” Murphy fumed. “If you
cut them down, they’ll be happy to come arrest you, but otherwise it’s not their problem.” “I’m all for nature and preserving the environment, but topping those trees 20 to 30 feet isn’t going to hurt anybody, including the trees. In order to preserve those trees, you need to trim them. But
they don’t believe that.” Murphy expects he’ll have to have a scratch and dent sale to move the vehicles that were damaged this week. “I don’t know exactly how much damage there is because we’re afraid to go out there,” Murphy said, while the wind continued to howl. He knows his insurance deductible and rates will rise and he feels powerless to do anything about it. “My insurance is probably going to go from $15,000 to $30,000 next year, which is significant,” he said. “At the end of the day that’s my problem, which is fine. Just let me top those trees so they won’t come down and kill somebody.” “But they won’t listen to me. They won’t.”
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Blustery winds and steady rain hit Chilliwack Tuesday bringing down transformers, trees and power lines all over town. Power was out for more than 12,000 Chilliwack residents by mid morning with gusty winds of up to 80 km/hr and heavy rain reported. Wolfe, Jones, Majuba Hill, Promontory and Hope River Roads were just some of the locations were power lines came down, according to BC Hydro. Downed lines were logged on Vedder, Ruddick, Yale, Trethewey, Rowat, Chilliwack Lake, Solway, Columbia Valley Roads and still counting. Fire crews were kept busy throughout the region. At one point there was a callout for additional staff because the department was fielding so many calls at once. When heavy rains pummel the region over a short period, the local creeks and rivers also can swell. With a rapid increase in water levels, the danger to the public increases, especially for those who like to fish from shorelines or gravel bars. “Chilliwack River flow expected to peak late Friday due to coming rain. Knee-deep water can knock you off your feet. Use caution!’ warned Chilliwack Search and Rescue members on Facebook. SAR says sandbars and shoreline can rapidly shift or disappear quickly with intense rainfall. “The water levels rise and fall very quickly in these parts,” according to SAR posts.