It wasn’t something you normally see on a routine stroll.
On Oct. 13, Lindsey Genoe was walking home with her dog at approximately 1 p.m., when the winds picked up.
They encountered branches and pine cones flying everywhere on the road and decided to go through the Heritage Forest trail in Qualicum Beach as Genoe believed it was safer. The path she chose led her to an experience she’ll never forget.
“Tall trees were swaying in the sky but nothing falling big,” Genoe recalled. “I walked around the corner to find myself standing on top of the ground separating. At first I thought it was a earthquake then I looked up to see that the tree was about to fall. It wasn’t even two minutes that the ground was moving up and down before it fell.”
Genoe was able to video the tree uprooted and falling to the ground.
“I’m glad no one was walking the path in the opposite direction; the tree took out two others as it went down and landed hard right across the path,” she said. “It was a very thrilling and exciting experience.”
RELATED: ‘Potent’ low pressure system brings winds, takes power from Vancouver Island
The Parksville Qualicum Beach area were severely hit by the windstorm that caused prolonged power outage on Tuesday.
“It was one of the hardest-hit areas on the Island,” said Ted Olynyk, BC Hydro community relations manager for Vancouver Island Sunshine Coast. “At the peak, we had over 14,000 customers that were impacted by the storm.”
The windstorm, which prompted warnings from Environment Canada, picked up at around 11 a.m. and caused trees and branches to topple. Some fell on power lines that causing the power outage in the region.
Firefighters, road maintenance crews were out helping clear up trees and branches that fell and blocked the roads and highway.
BC Hydro crews were significantly busy day fixing the downed lines to get the power on in the area as soon as they can. But it took longer than expected, said Olynyk.
“The last three customers didn’t get back on until about seven o’clock the next day,” said Olynyk.
