Ready for a power outage? Lower Mainlanders underprepared, BC Hydro says

The extreme weather events we’ve experienced on the Lower Mainland can serve as a good reminder to be ready for potential power outages. But according to BC Hydro, people in this region are actually the least prepared provincially if the lights were to go out.

In fact, the utility has found many across the province are “overconfident” while also being underprepared, with Lower Mainlanders in particular the most likely to think they are prepared to weather any kind of emergency or outage.

A survey commissioned by BC Hydro finds half of respondents from the Lower Mainland think they’re ready to handle a storm and subsequent blackouts, but that same survey also finds those same people are the least likely in the province to have taken steps, like putting together an emergency kit, to be prepared.

People on the Lower Mainland are also said to be more dependent on their phones during outages than people in other parts of B.C. Nearly 75 per cent of respondents say having access to their cell phone is “important” or “very important” during a blackout, compared to about 65 per cent of respondents on the Island or 67 per cent in the Interior. Northern B.C. residents were least likely to be dependent on their phones, with just 49 per cent saying they needed to have access to one during an outage.

Report | Ready, set, storm. How preparedness for storm-related power outages varies across #BC: https://t.co/eVFSX4LXAX #BCStorm pic.twitter.com/YwDaKhepC8

— BC Hydro (@bchydro) November 9, 2021

Lower Mainlanders are also not just using their phones to stay connected during an outage — BC Hydro says people in this region are most likely of any region to use their smart phones for entertainment, for example by accessing Netflix or YouTube, when the lights go out.

People in this region appear to be so concerned with being entertained that 13 per cent of Lower Mainlanders surveyed say they’d rather go without their partner for a day during an outage than without their cell phone. That is the highest in any region.

So what exactly does it mean to be prepared? BC Hydro encourages everyone in the province — regardless of where they live — to prepare and store a well-stocked emergency kit that contains supplies for every member of the household for at least three days.

The utility recommends filling your kit with basic supplies, such as a flashlight and extra batteries, a first aid kit, medications, and non-perishable food, as well as bottled water.

Ongoing weather events

The latest survey results come as the Lower Mainland is faced with yet another strong weather system, bringing with it strong winds and pounding rains.

Early Tuesday morning, more than 18,000 customers were without power across Metro Vancouver — mainly the North Shore — and the Sunshine Coast.

Over the weekend, the region also experienced strong winds and rain, with trees falling over and bringing down power lines and even damaging vehicles. On Monday, officials confirmed an E0 tornado had touched down in the UBC Vancouver campus area.

The tornado was just the latest in a months-long stretch of exceptional weather events on the Lower Mainland. Meteorologist Michael Kuss has said these events happening all within the same year and within just a few months of each other signal a troubling trend.

While B.C. has already experienced some severe weather events in the past several months, BC Hydro says it expects a challenging storm season in the weeks ahead.

“Storm season is off to an early start this year—numerous atmospheric river events and a bomb cyclone brought high levels of wind and precipitation to B.C. over the past couple of months. According to Environment Canada, B.C. experienced nearly 300 per cent of its usual rainfall in September—151 mm compared to the usual 51 mm,” the utility says.

It notes these conditions are in part due to La Niña, which is expected to bring cooler, wetter, and windier weather to the west coast.

Related articles:

• Thousands without power on North Shore, around Metro Vancouver

• Weekend tornado confirmed to have touched down at Vancouver UBC campus

• Tornado watch latest example of ‘more active, more dynamic, more severe’ weather in B.C.

BC Hydro adds extreme weather events and storms “are becoming more common in B.C. as climate change is taking a toll.”

“In fact, Natural Resources Canada studies on the impacts of climate change concluded that future changes in the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events particularly ice storms, heavy snow storms and wind storms are likely to increase the risk of interrupted electricity supply,” the utility writes.

“Here in B.C., there has already been a 117 per cent increase in storms that BC Hydro has responded to over the past several years, rising from 52 in 2014 to an average of 113 over the past few years. As BC Hydro continues to experience more weather-related system damage, it is more important than ever that customers be prepared for the possibility.”