VANCOUVER: BC Hydro crews continue working around-the-clock following Friday night’s storm, restoring power to more than 160,000 customers while responding to new outages as another round of strong winds moves across the province this afternoon and continues into Sunday.
Since the storm began, more than 190,000 customers have experienced an outage. As of 4:30 p.m., about 30,000 customers remain without power. Due to the extent of the damage and access challenges in some areas, some customers are expected to remain without power overnight.
Storm impacts have been felt across British Columbia, with some of the hardest-hit areas including Prince George and surrounding communities, Port Hardy and Courtenay. With additional weather systems expected tonight and through next week, BC Hydro has moved into an extended storm response, with crews restoring remaining outages, responding to new damage and preparing for further impacts.
"Our crews have made significant progress, restoring power to more than 160,000 customers since Friday night, but the storm response is far from over," said Whitney Deane, BC Hydro spokesperson. "Strong winds are already creating new outages in some areas, and our crews are ready to respond as this next round of weather moves through. We know it is difficult for customers who have been without power for an extended period and we appreciate their patience. Our crews will continue working around-the-clock to restore them as quickly and safely as possible."
BC Hydro crews and contractors are responding across multiple regions. With severe weather affecting several parts of the province at the same time, resources are being positioned carefully to support ongoing restoration efforts and ensure crews are ready for the series of storms ahead.
In some areas, restoration work is being complicated by fallen trees, difficult access and ongoing severe weather. The first storm brought down trees and debris that blocked roads and access routes in some areas. While cleanup is continuing, these conditions are making it difficult for crews to reach some damaged equipment and are contributing to longer restoration times. In northern Vancouver Island and parts of the Interior, crews are conducting ground patrols to locate faults on transmission lines after weather conditions prevented helicopter inspections. In other areas, crews must first clear fallen trees and debris before they can safely reach outage locations and begin repairs.
Strong winds are expected to continue tonight and into Sunday morning, particularly on Vancouver Island, the South Coast, North Coast and Central Interior. These conditions are expected to cause additional outages, even as crews continue restoring customers affected by Friday night's storm.
Be prepared for additional outages
With more severe weather expected over the coming days, BC Hydro is encouraging customers to prepare now. Customers should make sure they have a stocked 72-hour emergency kit with water, non-perishable food, flashlights, batteries and first-aid supplies.
Customers can also download the new BC Hydro mobile app before severe weather arrives. The app provides outage information specific to a customer's address, including the cause, when the outage began, estimated restoration time and the latest updates. Customers can also find the latest information at bchydro.com/outages.
During an outage, customers should stay at least 10 metres away from downed, damaged or low-hanging power lines and call 911 to report them.
Customers can learn more about storm and outage preparedness at bchydro.com/safety.