A windstorm Thursday night knocked out power for thousands of Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island residents.
As of Friday morning, most B.C. Hydro customers’ power had been restored but there were still just under 100 affected in Metro and more than 1,000 on the Island.
Overnight, at the height of the windstorm, more than 15,000 customers were affected, mostly on the Island, and in Langley and Surrey.
B.C. Hydro says the windstorm also caused damage to its system on northern Vancouver Island. Crews are working on repairs to restore power to impacted customers there.
Due to access challenges, crews expect customers on Denman, Cortes and Hornby islands will be without power. Customers in Zeballos will also be without power until crews can do a flyover Friday morning to determine what repairs are required.
Campbell River and Courtenay were the worst hit areas, according to B.C. Hydro. Most damage was caused by trees and vegetation falling onto power lines.
Environment and Climate Change Canada had issued a series of wind warnings and special weather statements throughout much of the province. The agency was expecting winds of up to 90 km/h overnight for some areas.
Friday’s weather on B.C.’s South Coast is expected to be much calmer for most areas, with a mix of sun and cloud and a slight chance of showers in the forecast.
However, wind warnings remain in effect for many areas of central and northern B.C., where there have been storms all week.
Earlier this week, B.C. Hydro issued a statement urging customers to be prepared for weather-related power outages caused by drought-weakened trees and other vegetation as storm season begins.
While drought levels have improved compared with last year, B.C. Hydro meteorologists say there’s an elevated risk of power outages in the event of a windstorm this fall. This is especially true for Vancouver Island, which has been under more sustained dry conditions, and in northern B.C. where major wildfires occurred this season.
For the Lower Mainland and the southern Interior, drought stress has been less severe this year. However, trees and other vegetation are still at risk compared with a year with average precipitation, B.C. Hydro said.
“A multi-year drought that began about three years ago is continuing to put local vegetation under stress, damaging roots, trees and soil in many parts of the province,” said Susie Rieder, B.C. Hydro spokeswoman. “Trees weakened by years of drought can be more susceptible to wind and stormy conditions, and could be at risk of falling over, contributing to power outages.”
