VANCOUVER: BC Hydro crews have made significant progress following two damaging windstorms that have caused nearly 415,000 customer outages since Friday, restoring power to hundreds of thousands of customers while crews continue working around the clock.
As of 5 p.m. Sunday, approximately 30,000 customers remain without power, down significantly from a peak of approximately 135,000 overnight. Crews have made particularly strong progress across the Lower Mainland and southern Vancouver Island, allowing more crews and resources to be shifted to areas where damage is more extensive and repairs are expected to take longer.
The scale of the restoration effort has been significant. Crews have been working around the clock since Friday, and BC Hydro has brought in additional crews, contractors and specialized equipment to support the hardest-hit areas. As customers are restored in other parts of the province, those resources are continuing to be redeployed to help tackle the most difficult remaining repairs.
The most significant challenge is now in parts of the Central Interior, particularly east and north of Prince George, where crews are facing extensive damage spread across a large geographic area, including approximately 200 spans of downed wire, numerous broken poles and other damaged electrical equipment.
“We’ve made significant progress, restoring power to hundreds of thousands of customers since Friday, thanks to crews who have been working around the clock,” said Whitney Deane, BC Hydro spokesperson. “We’re now working through some of the most difficult repairs, particularly in the Central Interior where there is extensive damage across a large area. We’ve brought in additional crews, contractors and equipment and will continue adding resources where they’re needed most. Some customers will be without power for at least another night and potentially longer. We know how difficult that is, and we appreciate their patience as our crews work as quickly and safely as possible.”
Significant damage in the Central Interior
The remaining restoration work in the Central Interior is significant and will take time to work through on the ground. Initial damage assessments have identified approximately 200 spans of downed wire, along with numerous broken poles, damaged crossarms and other electrical equipment that needs to be repaired or replaced before power can be safely restored.
In many locations, repairs involve much more than removing a tree from a line or replacing a single piece of equipment. Crews are rebuilding damaged sections of the electrical system, replacing poles and crossarms, and restringing wire.
Access is also making some repairs more difficult. Fallen trees and debris must be cleared in some locations before crews can reach damaged infrastructure, while soft ground is limiting where heavy equipment can operate. Weather conditions have also prevented aerial patrols at times, requiring crews to assess some damage from the ground, which takes significantly longer.
BC Hydro has already brought additional crews and resources into the region and continues to bring in more people, contractors and equipment to help work through the remaining outages. Crews are also pursuing opportunities to restore larger groups of customers through transmission repairs and system switching while more complex, localized repairs continue.
Given the extent of the damage, many customers in Prince George should expect to be without power for at least another night. For some customers in the hardest-hit rural areas north and east of Prince George, outages are expected to last multiple days, with the earliest restoration expected by late Tuesday evening. BC Hydro recognizes how challenging extended outages can be for customers and appreciates their continued patience. Crews will continue working around the clock until every customer has been restored.
Preparing for more weather
BC Hydro continues to monitor additional weather systems expected to move through the province over the coming days. Storm rooms remain active, and crews, contractors and equipment are being repositioned as restoration work is completed so they can support the areas with the greatest remaining need and respond quickly to any new outages.
Stay safe and informed
Customers should always assume a downed power line is energized and dangerous. Stay at least 10 metres back from any downed, damaged or low-hanging wire and call 911 immediately to report it.
Customers can get the latest information on outages and estimated restoration times through the BC Hydro mobile app or at bchydro.com/outages.
With additional weather expected, customers are encouraged to keep emergency kits stocked, mobile devices charged and enough supplies on hand to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.
More information about storm and outage preparedness is available at bchydro.com/safety.