Windstorm leaves thousands on the South Coast and Vancouver Island without power
6 a.m. update
BC Hydro crews restore power to 95 per cent of customers impacted by windstorm
VANCOUVER: BC Hydro crews have restored power to 95 per cent of the 290,000 customers impacted by Monday’s windstorm.
As of 6 a.m., about 16,000 customers are without power – about 11,000 of these customers are in the Lower Mainland and on the Sunshine Coast, and about 5,000 are on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
Crews have been working around-the-clock to restore power, replacing dozens of spans of power line as well power poles and other electrical equipment.
Crews will continue to work throughout the day and BC Hydro expects to have the majority of the remaining customers restored today – with the possible exception of small pockets of customers in areas with significant damage.
BC Hydro wants to thank its customers for their patience, and it will continue to provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at bchydro.com/outages.
10 p.m. update
BC Hydro crews restore power to more than 250,000 customers impacted by windstorm
VANCOUVER: BC Hydro crews continue to make good progress restoring power to customers impacted by today’s windstorm. About 253,000 customers have been restored – or about 87 per cent of the more than 290,000 customers impacted.
As of 10 p.m., approximately 39,000 customers are without power. Around 80 per cent of these customers are in the Lower Mainland and on the Sunshine Coast, with the other 20 per cent on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. The hardest hit areas are currently Victoria, North Vancouver and Sechelt.
Drought-damaged trees and branches came down on electrical equipment during the windstorm causing significant damage. More than 250 BC Hydro and contractor crew members have been working since early this morning to restore power, replacing power lines, poles and other electrical equipment. While progress has been steady, they have encountered challenges, such as roads blocked with vegetation and poor weather conditions that prevented helicopter patrol in some areas.
Due to the extensive damage, some customers will be without power overnight. Crews will continue their work throughout the night and into tomorrow.
BC Hydro wants to thank its customers for their patience, and it will continue to provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at bchydro.com/outages.
4:45 p.m. update
BC Hydro crews will continue working around-the-clock until power is restored
VANCOUVER: BC Hydro crews continue to make good progress restoring power to customers impacted by today’s storm. More than 133,000 customers have been restored – or about 56 per cent of the more than 237,000 impacted.
As of 4:30 p.m., about 104,000 customers are without power. The majority – 79,000 – are in the Lower Mainland and on the Sunshine Coast, and about 25,000 are on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. The hardest hit areas are currently North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Victoria and Sechelt.
Drought-damaged trees and branches came down on electrical equipment during the windstorm causing significant damage. BC Hydro has all hands on deck responding to the storm – all available BC Hydro crews and contractor crews will work into the night and overnight hours to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. Crews are busy replacing power lines, poles and other equipment to get the lights back on.
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.
At this time, BC Hydro can confirm there will be some customers without power overnight due to the significant damage. Crews will work around-the-clock until all customers are restored. BC Hydro wants to thank its customers for their patience, and it will continue to provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at bchydro.com/outages.
2:30 p.m. update
BC Hydro crews working to restore power as windstorm continues
VANCOUVER: BC Hydro crews are responding to the significant damage caused across the South Coast and Vancouver Island following the ongoing windstorm.
As of 2:30 p.m., about 225,000 customers have been impacted – and this number may increase until the winds subside. Crews have restored power to more than 76,000 customers and there are currently about 149,000 customers without power – 115,000 in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast, and 34,000 on Vancouver Island. The hardest hit areas are currently Surrey, Victoria, North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Sechelt.
Today’s strong wind and heavy rain knocked down trees and branches – many of them weakened by the multi-year drought – causing them to contact BC Hydro’s electrical equipment. All available BC Hydro crews and contractor crews are working to restore power, and they are busy repairing damaged power lines, power poles and other equipment.
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.
At this time, BC Hydro can confirm there will be some customers without power overnight due to the significant damage. Crews will work throughout the night and into the day tomorrow until all customers are restored. BC Hydro wants to thank its customers for their patience, and it will continue to provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at bchydro.com/outages.
11:30 a.m. update
VANCOUVER: Strong winds and heavy rain have left about 100,000 BC Hydro customers in the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands without power. The hardest hit areas are Surrey, White Rock, Victoria and Sechelt.
BC Hydro has been carefully planning for this storm and has all available BC Hydro crews and contractor crews responding. After a multi-year drought, vegetation has been weakened across the province, making it more susceptible to wind. As a result, many dead and damaged tress and branches have fallen, causing them to come into contact with BC Hydro’s electrical equipment. Crews are busy repairing damaged power lines, poles and other equipment.
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.
BC Hydro appreciates its customers’ patience as crews continue to work hard to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. As repair work continues, BC Hydro will provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at bchydro.com/outages.
Contact:
BC Hydro Media Relations
e. media@bchydro.com
p. 604 928 6468