Extreme winds cancel ferries and classes, knock out power to thousands on Vancouver Island
More than 16,000 hydro customers were without power on Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands Tuesday morning as strong winds ravaged British Columbia's South Coast.
There were 35 individual outages reported by BC Hydro on southern Vancouver Island and 13 outages reported on northern Vancouver Island by 8:30 a.m.
The southwestern Vancouver Island community of Sooke was the hardest hit as Environment and Climate Change Canada predicted winds would reach 100km/h along the island's west coast.
At least three schools in the Sooke School District were without power and had no estimated time for power to be restored, prompting district administrators to ask parents to keep their children home if possible.
Winds forced the cancellation of multiple BC Ferries sailings between the island and the Lower Mainland Tuesday morning.
Environment Canada is also warning of potential flooding along the Strait of Juan de Fuca as strong winds pair with higher-than-average tides along coastal regions.
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