BC Hydro restores power to over 400,000 customers, but more storms in the forecast

BRITISH COLUMBIA – BC Hydro says it has restored power to almost all of the nearly 415,000 customers who lost power at one point since last Friday when fierce windstorms arrived in British Columbia, but more storms are in the forecast for this week.

According to a statement sent to Fraser Valley Today by BC Hydro spokesperson Mora Scott, two damaging weekend windstorms wreaked havoc across the province, resulting in widespread damage, difficult access and complex repairs in some of the hardest-hit areas.

At the height of the storm at 1 a.m. Sunday, approximately 135,000 BC Hydro customers were without power.

As of Monday morning, Nov. 9, BC Hydro has restored power to 99 per cent of customers.

Damage to electrical infrastructure due to downed trees. (Image Credit: BC Hydro.)

The majority of customers still without power are in the Central Interior, where extensive damage east and north of Prince George included approximately 200 spans of downed wire, numerous broken poles and other damaged electrical equipment. Additional crews, contractors and specialized equipment remain in the region, with resources continuing to be redeployed from other parts of the province as restoration work is completed.

“We’ve now restored power to 99 per cent of customers impacted by these storms, but our job isn’t finished until every customer is back on,” said Whitney Deane, BC Hydro spokesperson. “Our crews have been working around the clock since Friday through some very challenging conditions. We know it has been a long few days for customers who are still without power, and we appreciate their patience as our crews work through these final, complex repairs.”

Environment Canada has issued wind warnings and special statements predicting heavy rain across large swaths of the province over the next few days.

In Haida Gwaii and North Vancouver Island, heavy winds are expected into Monday afternoon with gusts up to 110 kilometres an hour and a second low-pressure system following with winds likely to reach warning criteria again.

A special weather statement covering most of B.C.’s coast and Vancouver Island says a “strong and potent” series of storms will approach the B.C. coast from Tuesday through Thursday, bringing heavy rain, particularly in upslope terrain and higher elevations.

For Chilliwack and Abbotsford, Environment Canada says a strong and potent series of storms will approach the B.C. coast this week, bringing a prolonged period of heavy rainfall.

Significant rainfall accumulations are expected, with upslope terrain and higher elevations receiving the heaviest amounts of precipitation.

The anticipated rainfall event comes after several low pressure systems that moved through the region in recent days, bringing substantial amounts of precipitation to parts of the coast. There is still uncertainty regarding exact rainfall amounts and areal coverage. Rainfall warnings will be issued as the situation becomes clearer. Some areas can also expect gusty southerly winds during this event. The anticipated high precipitation rates could lead to water pooling in areas with poor drainage, exacerbating localized flooding concerns.