Lights Out: 28 photos and videos of Saturday's insane Vancouver windstorm

Forecasters expected torrential rainfall throughout the weekend, but they did not expect any accompanying heavy winds until Saturday morning. The windstorm has deemed the strongest since the 2006 storm that caused major damage in Stanley Park.

Saturday’s storm caused widespread power outages throughout the Lower Mainland and the South Coast, with 500,000 customers without power at the peak of the outage. It also caused millions of dollars in damage, with trees being the main culprit of the damage.

Trees buckled grass and pavement like carpet, tipping over and falling over onto vehicles, homes and other property. In Surrey, a woman who was walking with her daughter is in critical condition in hospital after being struck by a falling tree.

A moving SkyTrain vehicle, with passengers inside, was even struck and severely damaged by a tree branch flailing in the high winds.

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Traffic was at a standstill on some major roads in the regions on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, not just because of the fallen trees but also the hundreds of traffic lights that went dark.

And Surrey Night Market at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds was completely destroyed by the winds, with tents, equipment and merchandise mangled and scattered across the site. It has prompted organizers to cancel the night market’s remaining dates for the season.

An update issued by B.C. Hydro late this evening indicates approximately 123,000 customers are still in the dark. Crews aim to have all power restored by early Monday morning.

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Here’s a compilation of some of the most surreal Instagram photos of the windstorm and damage in the Metro Vancouver region:

Warning: foul language used in this tree falling video

So we are closed until further notice. Excuse our language #bcstorm #northvancouver #staytunedforupdates

A video posted by Steed Cycles (@steedcycles) on Aug 29, 2015 at 3:34pm PDT

Rain #bcstorm

A video posted by JT (@jordantrizz) on Aug 29, 2015 at 6:59pm PDT

Yesterday’s flash flood on Broadway. #BCstorm

A video posted by Trevor Jansen (@tinderman) on Aug 30, 2015 at 7:30am PDT

I knew it was gonna be windy today but damn… #vancitybuzz #vscocam

A photo posted by Carlo Nicolas Namoca (@cvrlitoswvy) on Aug 29, 2015 at 1:10pm PDT

#Wind causing problems in #MountPleasant #Vancouver #photos603 #vancitybuzz

A photo posted by Ruth Hartnup (@vandaffodil) on Aug 29, 2015 at 1:26pm PDT

Someone’s car on East 39th Avenue by Victoria drive, Vancouver #East #Vancouver #BritishColumbia #Canada

A photo posted by Matthew Ng (@maffewing) on Aug 29, 2015 at 2:50pm PDT

Stanley park seawall #windstorm ????

A photo posted by peterstreiling (@peterstreiling) on Aug 29, 2015 at 2:59pm PDT

Windy Vancouver. 08/29/15

A photo posted by Vancouverize in Van. (@vancouverize) on Aug 29, 2015 at 4:23pm PDT

@ Mother Nature chill #bcstorm

A photo posted by Shania Sharma (@shaniasharma) on Aug 29, 2015 at 6:22pm PDT

Things got a lil’ windy on East 8th last night #yvr #vancouverisawesome #vancitybuzz #eastvan

A photo posted by Jarett Kemp (@whereisjarett) on Aug 29, 2015 at 4:33pm PDT

Two trees came crashing down this morning on 3rd & Balsam, crushing this one car’s windshield & lying on top of five other cars. Thank god no one was hurt!

A photo posted by Lindz (@lindzmarsh) on Aug 29, 2015 at 5:09pm PDT

Wind taking out trees in #eastvancouver #vancitybuzz watch where you park!

A photo posted by Darryl Gates (@darryl_gates) on Aug 29, 2015 at 5:14pm PDT

The wind is finally over in #Newwest. What a day! Hope everyone got home safe! #bcstorm #windstorm #weather #stormdamage #drivesafe #newwestminster #vancity #vancitybuzz #bc #canada

A photo posted by New Westminster, Canada (@the_royal_city) on Aug 29, 2015 at 6:39pm PDT

Huge wind storm in Van City today. This used to be 12 trees standing along the side of the road. The wind was so strong that the ground split open when the trees fell over. #vancitybuzz #vancity #windstorm #powerofmothernature #vancitywind #vancitywindstorm #bcstorm

A photo posted by Melissa (@melissa.woo) on Aug 29, 2015 at 6:44pm PDT

Permission to re-post given; please credit and tag. This was the scene on #SpruceStreet and #15thAve earlier this afternoon; thankfully no one was hurt (from what I know) and nearby buildings seem to have only minor damage. #Vancouver #Storm #Rain #Tree #Vancity #WestCoast #huffpostbc #mustbevancouver #vancitybuzz

A photo posted by Michael Carroll (@mwmcarroll) on Aug 29, 2015 at 7:23pm PDT

#bcstorm #strongwind #knockedout #tree #vancouver #VancityBuzz #kids #taking #peek

A photo posted by Lisa Lise Lis (@lizwiz1145) on Aug 30, 2015 at 1:14am PDT

Yesterday’s Storm in Vancouver #vancity #vancouver #vancitybuzz #vancouverisawesome #outage #tree #storm #bc #canada #nature #scary #photooftheday #instagood #instalike #instadaily #instafollow #fallingtrees #fallingtree

A photo posted by Graziella (@graziellah1) on Aug 30, 2015 at 11:49am PDT

#bcstorm #surrey #vancity #surreybc #vancitybuzz

A photo posted by Agata Wajzer (@atagaw) on Aug 30, 2015 at 2:29pm PDT

Kingsway &19thave ,could have been so much worse, no moisture in that soil #burnaby #vancouver #vancouverstorm #vancity #vancitybuzz #vancitylife

A photo posted by GWR (@vancouverexplorer) on Aug 30, 2015 at 2:36pm PDT

#bcstorm #vancouver #vancitybuzz #loader #cleaningprocess

A photo posted by Peter Shen (@shener20) on Aug 30, 2015 at 3:19pm PDT

Tree meets truck #bcstorm #storm #windstorm #vancouver #yvr #eastvan #disasterporn

A photo posted by Kitty Mussallem (@thealmightyqueen) on Aug 30, 2015 at 3:26pm PDT

This might take a while to clear #bcstorm

A photo posted by John Biehler (@johnbiehler) on Aug 30, 2015 at 4:31pm PDT

🙁 #vancouver#bcstorm#langley

A photo posted by @cheyenne_machado on Aug 30, 2015 at 5:00pm PDT

the cause of all our problems… #bcstorm #nopower #noworkers #killme #dontbeajerk

A photo posted by Carly Jones (@barkyjones) on Aug 30, 2015 at 5:19pm PDT

This car was for sale for 4K. It’s probably a little cheaper now. Bummer for the owner. #bcstorm #kitsilano #Vancouver

A photo posted by @elvira on Aug 30, 2015 at 6:34pm PDT

The whole neighbourhood comes out to climb around on big fallen oak tree across Blanca St in #Vancouver #BCStorm

A photo posted by Keta (@ketavancouver) on Aug 30, 2015 at 7:10pm PDT

BC Hydro announced due to the number of outages from the #bcstorm today, there will be a significant number of customers without power into the evening. We hope everyone is safe today.

A photo posted by CRAFT Vancouver (@craftbeeryvr) on Aug 29, 2015 at 6:39pm PDT

This guy had a bad day #richmondparking #windy #windstorm #vancouver #fallentree #bcstorm

A photo posted by Jessica Dennis (@jessica__dennis) on Aug 29, 2015 at 10:17pm PDT