Downed trees impacting Stanley Park access after bomb cyclone

The bomb cyclone that battered B.C.’s South Coast overnight downed a number of trees throughout Stanley Park, resulting in restricted access Wednesday morning.

Images obtained by CTV News show downed trees, branches and debris along Stanley Park Drive, Lagoon Drive, sidewalks and bike paths.

Crews have closed some routes through the park and the entire seawall for the cleanup effort, which is expected to take hours.

CTV News has reached out to the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation for more information.

The intense storm that landed Tuesday caused chaos across the region, and around 270,000 power outages across Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland overnight. Service had been restored to about two-thirds of those BC Hydro customers by the morning.

More damage is expected on Wednesday, along with potential flooding along coastal areas due to crashing waves.

A weather advisory from Environment and Climate Change Canada cautions that elevated ocean levels and significant winds could results in waves “exceeding highest astronomical tide.”

“Storm surge from gale to storm force southeast winds combined with seasonably high tide will produce elevated water levels for areas near the water across the South Coast,” the agency wrote in a 3:50 a.m. update. “Coastal flooding is possible along exposed shorelines, especially in low-lying areas.”

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Regan Hasegawa