Thousands without power in Metro Vancouver
Posted December 23, 2022 3:53 pm.
Last Updated December 23, 2022 3:59 pm.
Thousands of people around Metro Vancouver are without power as the latest storm to hit the region moves through.
More than 6,000 BC Hydro customers are affected, with outages reported in Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, Abbotsford, North Vancouver, and West Vancouver.
The cause of many of the outages is listed as “under investigation.” Many of the customers affected are on the North Shore.
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The outages come as the region is hit by a third winter storm in less than a week. BC Hydro issued a warning ahead of the latest weather system, saying service disruptions were expected.
“What the freezing rain does, is that it’s going to add weight to the snow that’s already on the trees, potentially coat those trees in ice and add a tonne of weight which causes them to break and come into contact with our electrical equipment,” Mora Scott, BC Hydro spokesperson, previously told CityNews.
Many of the outages Friday were caused by downed trees and branches over wires, the utility reported.
BC Hydro is reminding people that a fallen power line or a tree down over one is considered an emergency. If you see one, you’re asked to stay back at least 10 metres and to call 911.
Reminder during #BCStorm: a fallen power line, or a fallen tree on a power line, is an emergency. Knowing this could save your life. Stay back at least 10 metres (the length of a bus), keep others away, and call 9-1-1: https://t.co/YmJYwVhhjs pic.twitter.com/hirqhq2U9d
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) December 23, 2022
A number of outages have also been reported on Vancouver Island.
