As of 1:45 p.m. Friday, BC Hydro reported around 40,000 customers without power following a wind-driven storm and downed lines.
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The first in a series of storms has moved through B.C.’s South Coast, and BC Hydro says tens of thousands of customers have lost power as a result.
As of 1:45 p.m. Friday, around 40,000 customers were without power. Nearly 18,000 of those outages were in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast, and more than 20,000 were on Vancouver Island.
The utility says many outages were caused by the wind storm or downed power lines from trees falling across wires.
BC Hydro warned residents who come across downed power lines to stay at least 10 metres away. It said electricity can spread through the surrounding area when a power line contacts the ground, explaining that it should be treated “like ripples moving across a pond,” with greater danger the closer someone is to the point of contact.
BC Hydro also said objects that touch a power line can become energized, including “Trees, fences, vehicles, and other objects touching a power line.” The utility said it’s important to stay back and keep others away too.
Environment Canada issued a yellow-level rainfall warning early Friday for parts of Metro Vancouver, with up to 80 millimetres of rain expected in higher-elevation areas of the North Shore and near southern Howe Sound. The heaviest rainfall is expected throughout Friday, with conditions gradually easing overnight, though Environment Canada said more wet and windy weather is expected into next week.
Customers experiencing an outage can check estimated restoration times on BC Hydro’s website.
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