Over 300K B.C. customers lost power Saturday; most restored: BC Hydro

Strong winds across the province downed trees and power lines, and BC Hydro says over 300,000 customers across the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island, and the Gulf Islands lost power Saturday.

As of 10:30 a.m. Sunday, around 5,000 remain without power.

Surrey was particularly hard-hit by the storm; as of 1 p.m. Saturday, 75,000 customers in that city were without power.

“The strong winds have resulted in trees and branches contacting electrical infrastructure, which has caused extensive damage,” BC Hydro said in a news release around 1 p.m. Saturday.

“About 250 BC Hydro and contractor crew members are currently working to repair damage to power lines, power poles, and other equipment in an effort to restore customers as quickly and safely as possible. To provide additional support, BC Hydro is looking to bring in crews from unaffected regions.”

BC Hydro says vegetation has weakened across the province, making it more vulnerable to wind. This comes after a multi-year drought, it says.

“As a result, many dead and damaged trees and branches have fallen, and are making contact BC Hydro’s electrical equipment,” the utility said

“All available BC Hydro crews and contractor crews are working to repair damage to power lines, power poles and other equipment in an effort to restore customers as quickly and safely as possible. This work will continue throughout the day and into the night.”

BC Hydro reminds customers that downed power lines are considered an emergency, so call 911 and stay at least 10 metres back.

“BC Hydro crews will work with first responders to make the area safe,” it said.

Environment Canada issued a wind warning for Saturday that extends into the afternoon, with expected gusts as high as 100 kilometres per hour, warning of the possibility of fallen branches and outages.

The warning triggered multiple ferry cancellations, with many of the major routes affected.