VICTORIA -- Thousands are without power this morning after a powerful winter storm struck Vancouver Island Wednesday night.
According to BC Hydro, 4,000 customers are without power in the Comox Valley, while 1,300 are in the dark in Greater Victoria.
In Oak Bay, a massive tree was downed by winds topping out at around 80 km/h. The huge tree fell on a two-storey character home in Oak Bay on Southerland Road. The full extent of the damage is unknown, but it appears the tree may have just leaned up against the roof of the house.
Early Thursday, Victoria police blocked a section of Bay Street near Blanshard Street after a water main burst and flooded a section of road. Victoria city crews struggled to deal with the flooding as waters froze and thawed as they worked to contain the situation.
The road was reopened just after 8 a.m.
Commuters were faced with a slippery situation in much of the region as Vancouver Island faces a brutal freeze-and-thaw cycle.
Police across the Capital Region warned the public that black ice had blanketed almost every roadway and sidewalk.
In a tweet, the City of Victoria asked everyone to use caution whether they were driving, walking or cycling.
