B.C. Hydro says outages drop from about 135,000 to about 30,000 as storm repairs continue

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B.C. Hydro says it has made significant progress restoring power after storms caused mass outages over the weekend, with the number of customers without service dropping from roughly 135,000 overnight Saturday to about 30,000 as of 5 p.m. PCT Sunday, according to the utility.

More than 8,000 of the remaining outages are in the Central Interior. The utility says a combination of damaged infrastructure, downed trees, weather conditions and soft terrain has made repair work challenging, particularly in more rural areas.

In a statement, B.C. Hydro said customers in Prince George should expect to be without power for at least another night, given the extent of the damage. The utility also said some customers in the hardest-hit areas north and east of Prince George are not expected to have power restored until late Tuesday evening at the earliest.

B.C. Hydro said parts of the Central Interior are now the most difficult, where crews are facing extensive damage across large areas east and north of Prince George. The utility described about 200 spans of downed wire, numerous broken poles, damaged crossarms and damaged electrical equipment that need repair or replacement, adding that restoring power there will take time.

The utility said it has brought in additional crews and resources and is restoring power to larger customer groups through transmission repairs and system switching, while more complex localized repairs continue. B.C. Hydro spokesperson Whitney Deane said some customers could be without power for at least another night and potentially longer, and the utility continues to monitor weather systems expected to move through B.C.

B.C. Hydro also urged the public to stay at least 10 metres back of downed tower lines, to assume any downed line is energized and dangerous, and to call 9-1-1 immediately to report downed lines.