Power Back on for 105K After Windstorm Hits B.C. South Coast

Most Outages Fixed After Severe Windstorm

After a strong windstorm battered British Columbia’s South Coast overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, BC Hydro has restored power to about 105,000 customers who lost electricity due to the storm’s impact on infrastructure. Around 15,000 customers remain without power, mostly in the Lower Mainland, as crews continue working to get everyone back online. 

The outage initially affected more than 120,000 customers across a wide area including the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast and Gulf Islands as gusty winds and heavy rain knocked down trees, power lines and other equipment. 

Where Outages Were Worst

BC Hydro’s latest figures show that the hardest-hit areas early Wednesday included:
• Surrey — 18,400 customers still without power
• Port Coquitlam — 12,500
• Burnaby — 11,700
• Vancouver — 11,200
• Maple Ridge — 11,200
• North Vancouver — 10,000 

These numbers reflect the situation as of early Wednesday, and Hydro crews are focusing on repairing damage and making safe access where debris blocking roads has slowed progress.

Crews Work Through Challenges

Restoration teams have been working around the clock to fix downed lines and damaged equipment. BC Hydro says that because of the extent of the damage including trees and broken poles some customers may remain without power into Thursday as crews juggle repair, safety and access challenges. 

Officials remind people to stay clear of downed power lines and report outages via BC Hydro’s outage map while crews are on site repairing issues.

Why the Storm Had Such an Impact

This weather system brought strong winds and heavy rain to much of the region, which contributed to widespread outages. Environment Canada had issued wind and rainfall warnings in many areas as the front moved through the South Coast, funneling gusty winds that made trees and weakened branches more likely to fall. 

In several communities power disruptions also led to traffic lights and services being affected earlier in the day, underscoring how widespread the storm’s effects were before restoration efforts made headway.

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