Roughly 40,000 BC Hydro customers remained without power Saturday morning after Friday’s storm, and the utility says more outages are expected as more storms make landfall this weekend. At the peak of Friday’s storm, about 80,000 customers were without power, BC Hydro said in a statement Saturday morning. “The total number affected throughout the day was much higher as strong winds moved through different parts of the province,” the utility said. “As crews restored power in some areas Friday, falling trees and branches caused new outages elsewhere. And the stormy weather is far from over.” The company said its meteorologists are “closely monitoring” two or three more weather systems that are expected to affect B.C. through the middle of next week. “Friday’s storm caused significant damage, and we’re preparing for more challenging weather in the days ahead,” said BC Hydro spokesperson Whitney Deane, in the statement. “Additional weather systems are expected through mid-week, and some of the winds could be more impactful than what we’ve seen so far. Our crews and resources will be working around-the-clock to restore power and respond to new outages as quickly and safely as possible, and we’re encouraging customers to be prepared.” Friday’s toll The end-of-week storm brought high winds and heavy rain to much of the province, cancelling dozens of BC Ferries sailings between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. Environment and Climate Change Canada says the highest wind gust recorded at Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal on Friday was 74 km/h. Gusts on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast were higher, with Comox seeing 81 km/h and Powell River recording a gust of 93 km/h. On the island’s northwest coast, the Village of Zeballos issued evacuation orders and a state of local emergency due to landslide risk. Zeballos received 205 millimetres of rain in Friday’s storm, according to ECCC. Wind, rain warnings continue Environment Canada has issued wind warnings for Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island as Saturday’s storm ramps up. Wind gusts between 70 km/h and 90 km/h are expected across most of that area, with gusts as high as 110 km/h in the forecast for the north island, according to ECCC. For most of the South Coast, the strongest winds are expected in the evening, before easing around midnight. Rainfall warnings are also in effect for much of Vancouver Island, but not the Lower Mainland. BC Hydro working to restore power The hardest-hit areas for power outages as of Saturday morning were Prince George and surrounding communities, Port Hardy, Courtenay and Qualicum, BC Hydro said. “Crews are repairing damaged power lines, poles and other electrical equipment, with restoration work expected to continue throughout the day,” the utility said, adding that it is preparing for “an extended storm response” in the coming days. In-house and contractor crews will be working around the clock to deal with outages as they occur, BC Hydro said. “BC Hydro’s in-house meteorologists monitor incoming weather systems and use advanced forecasting and outage prediction tools to anticipate where the greatest impacts could occur,” the utility added. “This helps position crews, contractors, damage assessors and other resources so they can respond where they are needed most.” The company also encouraged customers to prepare for outages by having a stocked 72-hour emergency kit with water, non-perishable food, flashlights, batteries and first-aid supplies. More information about storm and outage preparedness can be found on BC Hydro’s website.
