Plywood debris falling off Shangri-La in storm; 2 cars crushed

[towerguy3]

I hear 2 cars were crushed by falling debris. Plywood fell off Shangri-La. Glass panels are loose on Teresen building.

I see police cars on Georgia, Bute, Alberni and Dunsmuir. There's police tape all around the block and a stopped bus on Georgia and Bute.

The cop told me that there are 10 buildings in the area where they suspect glass may be loose

I'm hearing sirens every few minutes...

One cop had to physically manhandle one pedestrian who ignored the tape.

Walking around the back of the Teresan building I didn't see much but it's dark. Have not heard if anyone was hurt.

I heard a rumbling sound coming from the Shangri-La and could see plastic tarps flapping violently in the wind. The sound you could hear all over the block.

Could the plywood debris have fallen off the very highest floor of Shangri-La where they have the forms for the Penthouse floor?

[mr.x]

i heard the wind is being funnelled through the canyon of buildings in downtown, reaching speeds of 80 km/h.

[bils]

winds topped 89km/h in the last hour at YVR... without funnelling

[SpongeG]

the radio said Robson Street had been shut down

i didn't believe it but if its has windy as it just got out this way i can believe it now

lots of debris blowing out in brentwood area - saw a lot of branches etc on the road

[mr.x]

i wonder how old Stanley is coping.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

i wonder how old Stanley is coping.

Definitely not a good day to be going to the North Shore. The Lions Gate Bridge was shut down during rush-hour, because of winds and debris flying around the causeway. All the cars were being turned around and created a parking lot through Hastings and West Cordova.
Not much love, you could hear the constant horns from the 26th floor.
Everything is back to normal now..

[mr.x]

^ and i'm guessing SeaBus was also shut down too? i couldn't imagine the Otter and Beaver being able to handle those high winds and rough waters.

[Canadian Mind]

looks like we got it lucky up here on North Van Island. Winds were coming right from the west though, which is very unusual for our area. Wondering if that is what caused the unusually powerful funnel effect. Don't hear of glass coming lose too often.

[TwoFace]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

^ and i'm guessing SeaBus was also shut down too?

Can't say, I was only looking West.
Amazing amount of garbage floating around during a big blow; everything from a piece of dock, huge styrofoam pieces, boat bumpers and lots of driftwood.

Hay there Canadian Mind, is the FBI still the neighborhood favorite?

[SpongeG]

the broadcast news just reported that Georgia Street is closed down due to possible things falling

just like last week in Toronto - they said now its Vancouvers turn

[bils]

plywood from shangri-la falling on cars and breaking windows in other buildings....

i smell lawsuits

[Canadian Mind]

Originally Posted by TwoFace

Hay there Canadian Mind, is the FBI still the neighborhood favorite?

Eh, it's not as popular as it used to be. Last owner's husband apparently went mad and chased a friend down the street with a chainsaw, then the place closed for a year or so, and now the new owners don't keep it open late enough.

Needless to say, the place is going through some rough times.

[Rusty Gull]

The Seabus was operating at 6pm. But the ride was a bit rougher than usual -- and the waters were choppy. Those Seabuses are pretty tough, though.

[excel]

Georgia was still closed at 1130 when i drove by.

[raggedy13]

I was just getting off work when this was happening. I walked around the seemingly affected area and observed the following streets blocked off by cops (though perhaps there were more?)...



The traffic was terrible. It's times like that when I'm glad I don't drive... although there were a ton of buses stuck in the traffic too. I was surprised to see people still sitting in them considering they were going nowhere fast.

I saw a guy talking to a cop from a distance and then by the time I caught up to him he was talking on his cell and telling somebody that they closed the roads because glass was falling from some of the construction sites. When I took a look at the Flatiron it looked like there were some large glass panels missing from where I would otherwise think there should be some at this point in construction, though they might just have not put them up yet. Either way the streets around the Triangle West construction sites and the Shangri-La were closed off.

[npinguy]

I left work in downtown around 6, and was first surprised by how backed up some streets were.

I finally figured out why when I got on the Burrard street bridge out of downtown....


My car was SKATING. Now I have a 97 toyota tercel so admittedly it's no hummer, but there should be no reason why some wind would knock my car around in the lane whenever i went over 55. Unless it was some pretty obscene damn wind.


Seriously, I was scared. I'm never one to drive slow - yes I'm one of those vancouver assholes that goes 70 in 50 zones, 80 in 60 zones and 173 in 70 zones - but the wind today forced me to go down to an under-the-speed-limit crawl.

[hollywoodnorth]

Georgia is still closed.......but Alberni is now open.