Laura MacDonald now has a better sense than most of just how much damage a windstorm can reap.
What she first thought was thunder when she heard a loud crack outside her Toombs Drive home just before 5 p.m. Thursday turned out to be the sound of a large spruce tree cracking and about to topple over.
"I looked out the window and this tree was literally falling on me," she said.
MacDonald, who had been watching television in her bedroom, took quick action, running towards a table and diving to the floor. She heard a "huge thud" as the tree came through the roof.
"I ducked for cover as fast as I could and I knew that when I did, it was going to get me out of harm's way, but I knew that within those split seconds that I could be trampled by branches and glass," she said.
Oddly, it didn't break any windows and MacDonald figures that was due to the entire root system becoming dislodged and softening the blow as the tree came down.
The tree crashed through the roof and penetrated the ceiling tile before it stopped. It now lies across the hallway.
"It's just sitting up there and the addition, which is the next part of the house it fell on is keeping it from cutting my house like a cake," MacDonald said. "It's a mobile home, it's 46 years old, and I'm just extremely fortunate to be here today."
Her two sons, Joshua, 11, and Jason, 8, were in the living room at the other end of the home, about 50 feet away from where their mother was.
"They thought there was an earthquake," MacDonald said.
She described the tree as a good 16 inches in diameter and over 100 feet tall. It stood just four feet away from the house, located on 1 1/2 acres off North Nechako Road.
"It was a solid tree and [five years ago] we did hire a company that takes trees down to assess the trees that were endangering the house," MacDonald said. "At the time, they pointed out seven so we took seven down...but this one is definitely a surprise."
MacDonald and her sons spent the night at her father's home and she's now dealing with the insurance company. Once the tree is removed, MacDonald joked she will have a new skylight "and I don't want a skylight."
MacDonald wasn't the only homeowner with a tree landing on her roof. Prince George Fire Rescue assistant chief Blake King said firefighters were called to two other instances in the city.
BC Hydro crews were also busy as trees on wires knocked out power to more than 3,200 customers in the city. Further afield, a tree fell across the bridge leading into Fort St. James. Drivers heading back into the community had to wait until 11 p.m. before it was removed.
In Prince George, gusts had reached 87 km/h between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., according to Environment Canada. MacDonald said the storm that brought the tree down lasted about 15 minutes and then "completely died down."
"It was really strong for some reason," MacDonald said. "And then it took the tree down and then left for the rest of the night."
It appears doubtful it will be enough to make the MacDonald want to move from the property where she's lived for nearly 10 years.
"When you look at the property from the sky, it's framed by trees," she said. "It's quite breathtaking. I'm very fortunate to live here."
