B.C. Hydro says some drenched parts of British Columbia could remain without power for days as Environment and Climate Change Canada maintains rainfall and wind warnings.
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B.C. Hydro is warning that some areas of British Columbia could be without power for days as a fall storm continues across the province on Wednesday, following outages that began in late last week.
The utility said more than 400,000 customers were without power in total between Friday and Monday as a series of storms rolled through.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has maintained a number of rainfall and wind warnings on Wednesday, including an expectation that more than 250 millimetres of rain is possible for parts of western and inland Vancouver Island.
Flood watches are also in place throughout southwest B.C., with officials warning drivers to be prepared for pooling water and debris on the South Coast after the storm made landfall on Tuesday.
In an update released Tuesday night, B.C. Hydro said restoring power after the series of storms has been challenging due to extensive repairs, adding that access remains difficult in some areas because of fallen trees, debris and soft ground conditions.
The village of Zeballos on northwest Vancouver Island is expected to remain without power for a few more days. B.C. Hydro said specialized equipment is required and must be transported by helicopter due to the remote location and challenging terrain, with crews having the earliest access on Thursday if weather allows safe travel.
B.C.’s weather warnings cover the entirety of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii, as well as the Sunshine Coast, the central Interior and Prince George areas, and portions of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Canyon.
On west and inland Vancouver Island, ECCC said rainfall rates could reach as high as 20 millimetres per hour at times on Wednesday, and that up to 160 millimetres of rain could fall on the Sea-to-Sky Highway by Thursday morning, with localized flooding likely and some roads potentially becoming impassable.
The B.C. Ministry of Transportation issued a traffic advisory for the South Coast region on Tuesday, advising drivers in the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island and the Fraser Valley to be prepared for winds, heavy rainfall and possible flooding.
The ministry said areas most affected may include the Sea-to-Sky Highway, Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley and Fraser Canyon, and the Malahat and western coast communities on Vancouver Island, and urged drivers not to drive across flooded roads, bridges or river crossings while checking DriveBC for updates.
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