The butt end of a mature conifer tree that toppled over in high winds during a storm in West Kelowna.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Jodi Hickey
November 16, 2021 - 12:22 PM
A family in West Kelowna is recovering after a violent storm blew through the interior yesterday afternoon, Nov. 16, toppling trees and knocking out power.
Jodi Hickey and her kids are bundled up in jackets and blankets in their living room in Rose Valley today, waiting for the power to be restored, while some of the neighbours are cleaning up fallen trees and debris.
“Everyone is out today helping out those who had trees fall on their properties,” Hickey said. “Our direct neighbour has one on the roof of his garage and across the street from them one snapped in half and landed in another neighbour’s yard. Two houses up from there is a tree across a yard on top of a truck and beside that a tree landed in another truck.”
Hickey said a big tree in her yard fell over during the most violent part of the storm.
“In our case we don’t know where to begin so have called out to arborists,” she said. “The roads in the neighbourhood are thankfully open and clear, all the trouble seems to be in everyone’s yards.”
The storm, which started around three o'clock in the afternoon, swept through the southern interior and came with pouring rain and winds gusting up to 120 km/h.
READ MORE: Storm leaves 10,000 without power across southern Interior
“The worst of it was over by four o'clock,” Hickey said. “I was out and got the brunt of it while driving home from the mall. The windshield was covered with slush. My husband was at home with the scared kids.”
Hickey said her two young kids were shaken up by the storm and the whole family, including the dog, camped out in the living room together that night.
She said she is thankful no one was hurt by the falling trees.
“The insurance company tells us they will cover our fence and tree removal on our property but that the neighbours have to contact their insurance companies to make a claim to cover cost on their properties from our tree,” Hickey said. “We are now waiting on the arborist to see what the cost is.”
Meanwhile power is slowly being restored in six separate outages on the westside of Okanagan Lake.
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