A windstorm continues to batter British Columbia, causing power outages for approximately 105,101 people on the island, and over 300,000 across the province.
As of 2:45 p.m. Thursday, BC Hydro is reporting 56 major power outages are affecting roughly 67,430 people in South Vancouver Island, and 42 major outages are leaving approximately 41,668 North Vancouver Island residents without electricity.
#BCStorm update: Strong winds have caused hundreds of individual power outages, affecting more than 300,000 customers in #LowerMainland, #FraserValley, #SunshineCoast and on #VancouverIsland. In the Lower Mainland, the hardest hit areas are #SurreyBC, #LangleyBC and #Abbotsford
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) December 20, 2018
The winds are so intense that a historic stone chimney at Butchart Gardens broke apart, and this sailboat in Cadboro Bay has nearly capsized.
Drivers should also keep an eye out for traffic lights that may lose power, and trees or other obstructions that may be blown onto the road.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156679603895450&set=p.10156679603895450&type=3&theater
We are off on Highway 17 near Keating southbound. A large tree has fallen on power lines. One lane open for now. pic.twitter.com/EjEHtiRRpV
— CS Police Service (@cspoliceservice) December 20, 2018
BC Ferries cancelled all of its sailings this morning until 2:00 p.m. this afternoon.
In the Langford and Colwood area, roughly 9,003 people are without power, and BC Hydro is still investigating the cause of the outage.
Crews will be heading to an outage affecting 1,400 customers in #Langford. They'll share updates here: https://t.co/uR4xBgIFlr pic.twitter.com/9VVPq191Au
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) December 20, 2018
Right near the water in Cordova Bay, roughly 2800 people have lost power. BC Hydro says that a tree has fallen on a powerline in the area, affecting service.
Crews will be heading to an outage affecting 2,800 customers in Cordova Bay. They'll share updates here: https://t.co/i8DuU3GYBX pic.twitter.com/FDQygi2DHY
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) December 20, 2018
In the Saanich area, the closest affected area to the downtown core, roughly 2220 people are without power. Like Cordova Bay, the wind has blown down a tree in the area, causing it to fall on powerlines.
Crews will be heading to an outage affecting 2,220 customers in #Saanich. They'll share updates here: https://t.co/jqRAMs7XpX pic.twitter.com/gQh3lWb67s
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) December 20, 2018
In Duncan more than 2000 people have lost electricity. While one power outage is being attributed to a fallen tree, most are unaccounted for and are still being investigated by BC Hydro.
Crews will be heading to an outage affecting 1,800 customers in #DuncanBC. They'll share updates here: https://t.co/zhYo95IHx3 pic.twitter.com/KPTbGXA8W3
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) December 20, 2018
Drivers should also be careful when on the road today, especially when crossing through intersections where traffic lights may not be working.
The full TranBC guide on how to drive through an intersection with unpowered traffic lights can be found here.
The most important thing to remember is to treat the intersection as if it were four way stop.
“Todays windstorm has caused outages across Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, Greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley,” says BC Hydro in their outage updates.
“While strong winds continue, crews will assess damage and make repairs where it can be done safely.”
“Until the storm diminishes some specific estimates and restoration times will be difficult. All available crews and resources will continue to work until all customers are restored, we appreciate your patience and will continue to provide updates as available.”
For updates on the situation, stay tuned to BC Hydro’s power outage list or Twitter account.
