BC Hydro restores power to 99 per cent of customer impacted by snow storm
BC Hydro crews have restored power to more than 240,000 customers impacted by the storm that hit Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the Lower Mainland and the Southern Interior.
Crews have been working around the clock to restore power, replacing hundreds of spans of power line and replacing dozens of power poles, transformers and cross-arms.
Crews will continue to work throughout the day and expect to have all remaining customers restored today.
BC Hydro appreciates its customers’ patience and will provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at bchydro.com/outages.
BC Hydro restores power to more than 220,000 customers impacted by snow storm
December 22, 5 p.m. update
BC Hydro crews have restored power to more than 90 per cent of 240,000 customers who experienced outages as a result of the storm that hit Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the Lower Mainland and the Southern Interior.
As of 5 p.m., about 19,600 customers were without power:
- About 11,700 in the Lower Mainland.
- About 6,100 on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
- About 1,800 in the Southern Interior.
BC Hydro has all available crews and contractor crews working around the clock to restore power; however, the damage is extensive. There are still nearly 300 individual outages, and crews will need to travel to each of those sites – some of which are remote – to make repairs before the power can be restored. These repairs can range from simple to complex jobs that require specialized crews and equipment.
At this time, BC Hydro anticipates 99 per cent of customers will be restored tonight. However, there will be about 2,000 customers without power for a second night in the following communities:
- Lower Mainland: small pockets in Surrey, in Maple Ridge near Golden Ears Park, in Chilliwack near Ryder Lake and in Hope near Manning Park.
- Vancouver Island: small pockets on the Saanich Peninsula and the Gulf Islands including Salt Spring, Mayne, Galiano, Pender and Saturna Islands.
- Southern Interior: small pockets in the Vernon and New Denver.
BC Hydro appreciates its customers’ patience as repair work continues and will provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at bchydro.com/outages.
BC Hydro restores power to 85 per cent of customers impacted by snow storm
November 22, 11:30 a.m. update
BC Hydro crews continue to make good progress and have restored power to 190,000 customers of the 223,000 customers impacted by the snow storm on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the Lower Mainland and the Southern Interior.
Around 34,000 customers remain without power:
- About 15,900 in the Lower Mainland primarily in Maple Ridge and Surrey.
- About 10,400 on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands primarily in Duncan, Victoria and Salt Spring Island.
- About 8,000 in the Southern Interior primarily in West Kelowna and Nakusp.
BC Hydro has all available crews working around the clock to restore power. Helicopters were sent out at first light this morning in some areas to survey from the air so that crews have a better idea of the damage over long spans of power line in remote communities.
There are currently hundreds of distribution outages. Crews are required to attend each site to make the necessary repairs. This includes restringing power lines and replacing broken power poles, which each take several hours to complete. Due to the extensive damage and difficult conditions, BC Hydro expects that some customer may be out for a second night.
BC Hydro appreciates its customers’ patience as repair work continues and will provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at bchydro.com/outages.
BC Hydro crews make good progress overnight repairing damage from snow storm
November 22, 6:30 a.m. update
VANCOUVER: BC Hydro crews have safely restored power to about 130,000 of the 170,000 customers impacted by yesterday’s storm on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Lower Mainland.
As of 6:30 a.m., about 40,000 customers remain with out power:
- About 24,500 in the Lower Mainland primarily in Maple Ridge, Mission and Surrey.
- About 15,700 on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands primarily in Duncan, Victoria and Salt Spring Island.
Yesterday’s heavy, wet snow snowfall added weight to branches and trees, which caused them to break and come into contact with BC Hydro’s electrical equipment. As a result, all available BC Hydro crews and contractor crews will continue to work around the clock repairing the extensive damage until power is restored.
BC Hydro understands that outages are disruptive and it thanks its customers for their patience as crews work to repair the damage and restore power.
As repair work continues, BC Hydro will provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at bchydro.com/outages.
Winter storm leaves thousands without power
November 21, 5 p.m. update
VANCOUVER: Heavy, wet snow has left tens of thousands of BC Hydro customers without power on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Lower Mainland.
Nearly 90,000 customers have been impacted since this morning, and crews have restored power to about 20,000 as the storm has worked its way from Vancouver Island across the South Coast. As of 5 p.m., there are about 70,000 customers without power.
The hardest hit areas are:
- Duncan with 15,000 customers out
- The Gulf Islands with 12,100 customers out
- Victoria with 10,600 customers out
- Surrey with 7,000 customers out
- Mission with 6,800 customers out
Heavy, wet snow adds weight to branches and trees, which has caused them to break and come into contact with BC Hydro’s electrical equipment. As a result, crews are busy repairing damaged power lines, power poles and transformers.
All available BC Hydro crews and contractor crews are working to restore power. Crews will continue to work throughout the night; however, many customers on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands will be without power overnight due to the extensive damage and the challenging conditions, including snow and ice on the roads and ferry cancellations which has limited the mobilization of crews.
BC Hydro understands that outages are disruptive and thanks its customers for their patience as crews work to repair the damage and restore power. It also asks that members of the public follow physical distancing guidelines and provide crews with the space they need to complete their work safely.
Crews are receiving reports of downed power lines. A downed power line is an emergency. Call 911 and stay at least 10 metres back. BC Hydro crews will work with first responders to make the area safe.
As repair work continues, BC Hydro will provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at bchydro.com/outages.
BC Hydro working to restore power to thousands after winter storm hits Vancouver Island
December 21, 12 p.m. update
VANCOUVER: Heavy, wet snow has left about 32,000 customers on Vancouver Island without power.
The hardest hit areas as of 12 p.m. are:
- Duncan with 13,700 customers out
- Gulf Islands with 6,800 customers out
- Victoria with 5,600 customers out
- Nanaimo with 3,800 customers out
Snow adds weight to branches and trees. This results in them breaking and coming into contact with BC Hydro's electrical equipment. Crews are busy repairing damaged power lines, power poles, and transformers.
All available resources will continue to work throughout the day and into the night to make repairs and restore power. Difficult conditions, including snow and ice on roads, are creating additional challenges for crews.
BC Hydro appreciates its customers’ patience as its crews work to repair the damage and restore power. It also asks that members of the public follow physical distancing guidelines and provide crews with the space they need to complete their work safely.
Crews are receiving reports of downed power lines. A downed power line is considered an emergency situation and members of the public should stay at least 10 metres back and call 9-1-1 immediately. BC Hydro crews will work together with first responders to make the area safe.
For up-to-date outage information, including restoration times, please visit bchydro.com/outages.